Seeking the One
by wolfofstark
Summary: Like the rulers that came before them, twins Prince Jaxon and Princess Aurora are about to embark on their own Selections. However, their father, King Killian, has kept the identity of the heir a secret in order to afford his children their best shots at love without any ulterior motives.Will they be able to live up to their parents' fairytale and find their perfect matches?
1. I'm Only Nineteen But My Mind Is Older

**Seeking the One**

 **Princess Aurora**

''Happy birthday, little brother!''

I jumped on Jaxon's bed, pulling him up and hugging my younger twin brother close to me, ruffling his brown tresses as I jumped up and down. If one would take a glance at me and seize me up, they wouldn't think that I was the Crown Princess of Illéa and that I had just turned nineteen. I was acting more like a sixteen-year-old.

Apparently, Jaxon felt the same, and he groaned as he tried to escape from my tight embrace. ''Thanks, Rory, but couldn't you have congratulated me at breakfast?''

''Of course not!'' I exclaimed, not letting go so easily. ''I wanted to be the first one to congratulate you.''

Jaxon's slight frown and look of drowsiness disappeared, and his bright blue eyes twinkled as he finally seamed to wake up. ''Congratulations to you too, Rory.''

I jumped off his bed, almost knocking the books on his nightstand over. Typical Jaxon, always reading until the crack of dawn, which explained the big yawn he was trying to stifle.

People told me that Jaxon and I were nothing alike, and I agreed. While Jaxon was intelligent, calm and studious, I was carefree, sensitive and spirited. He would have been the perfect Heir, but fate had it that that role had fallen on me. Not that I despised the prospect of my future, I was certain that I would be a good Queen in my own right, but sometimes, I couldn't help but be envious of the brilliant mind my brother possessed.

While Jaxon had his brilliance, I had my spirit. I was told that I was a lot like my aunt Yasmin, Dad's sister and the Princess. Unfortunately, I didn't have her artistic side, but I did have my people skills. I was great at making people love me, and according to my Dad, I was a good decision maker and I had a keen sense for what was good for Illéa.

Dad had never tried to put too much pressure on me, as he already had enough of that when he was the Prince. My grandfather, King Edward Schreave, had died during Dad's Selection, which had devastated the family and the country. He was a good King, a beloved one if I could believe what people said, and my father had big shoes to fill. Luckily, he had Mom at his side, and together they were great rulers.

Mom had started out as an Eight, but the Selection turned her life around. She climbed up the entire caste system, going from an Eight to a One, and the people admired her. She was a great role model, as she didn't let her disability stop her or make her any less worthy. Her life was one of hardships, as she was born to a mother who didn't really want her. She was found in a dumpster by a man named Martin Dells, who ended up raising her. When she was eight years old, she lost her legs, caused by a few boys who lived in their neighborhood. She had to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, as she refused to get prosthetics. Mom was a strong and optimistic woman, a great Queen and she certainly deserved to be admired.

Together with Mom, Dad had managed to change the caste system. It wasn't gone yet, as that sudden change already proved disastrous in the past, but the castes Eight, Seven and Six were combined and contained into one caste, the Sixes. The biggest change was that there were no more Untouchables. The mentally and physically ill were taken care of in special clinics, and homes had been set up for all the runaways and addicts. The caste of Eight was no longer used as a punishment, and the people wouldn't be treated so inhumanely and like animals as they were before. The jobs that belonged to Sevens and Sixes were now all compiled in the caste of Six.

Though I was the Crown Princess, no one knew. The public wasn't aware of who the Heir was, which Dad did for a reason. As every other Royal, we were to have a Selection. Because we had turned nineteen, ours would be announced on the next Report. Dad wanted to make sure that no one could use us to get to the Crown, and to protect us, no one would know through which sibling they would actually acquire the Crown. Of course, they could still sign up for the Crown and take a risk, but they were not assured of the person they were competing for actually being the Heir.

I looked over at my brother, who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. While I was a hopeless romantic and had countless of crushes, he preferred to bury his head in the books. Unlike my father in his younger days, Jaxon was not an expert on the ladies. He had been hesitant about having a Selection, but as the perfect son that he is, he did not protest. My hope was that the Selection could bring Jaxon out of his shell, break down the walls he built up with books instead of bricks, and give him some confidence. He deserved love. Just like that, my birthday wish for this year hit me. _Please, let Jaxon find love. Let him find the best girl there is and fall madly in love with her, and she with him._

''Why are you staring at me?''

I was broken out of my wishful thinking by Jaxon's suspicious voice. The corners of my mouth curved into a smile. ''I'm just thinking how lucky the girls in the Selection are going to be to get to compete for you.''

Jaxon rolled his eyes. ''You know as much as I do that my Selection is going to be a disaster. You, on the other hand, will breeze right through it.''

I sat down next to him and took his hand in mine. ''Oh, come on, at least we're in this together. And think of the positive. Before us, the Selection consisted of 35 Selected. Now, there will be 36, and half of them are for me, half of them for you. Doesn't seem that bad, right?''

''I hope you get the extra two,'' he mumbled.

Since 35, the amount of Provinces Illéa had, couldn't be divided into two, the limit for Selected had been changed to 36. We could have lowered it to 34, but that would mean that one Province would be left out, which would surely cause some problems. With the limit now set to 36 Selected, it meant that one Province would have an extra Selected. This extra Selected would come from Mom's Province. The Provinces would randomly be chosen to accept male or female participants. So, though we knew Mom's Province, we did not know if it were to be a male or female one, and who would get the two extra Selected. That was up to a lottery. If Mom's Province turned out to be a female Province, hers would send two girls, which meant that Jaxon would get nineteen girls, and I would get seventeen boys. If it was a male Province, it would be the other way around, and I would get nineteen, and Jaxon seventeen.

''I wouldn't mind two extra boys. The more, the merrier.'' I giggled, as I jokingly shoved Jaxon's shoulder. ''Lighten up, it's our birthday. Let's not think about all the chaos to come, okay? In a few moments, Mom and Dad will be bursting through your door with little Elliana in tow, so please turn that frown upside down.''

Jaxon heaved a heavy sigh, before he turned to look at me. ''You're right. I shouldn't be moping around on our birthday.'' He plastered a smile on my face as he hugged me close to his side. ''Is this better?''

''Much better.''

* * *

 **Hi everyone! Wolfofstark here, but you can call me Wolf or Wolfie, whatever you want. This is my second SYOC, my previous one was Seeking Redemption. Unfortunately, I had to end that one early, but I did write an ending for it so it was still completed. This story will be the sequel to Seeking Redemption. As I had previously discussed in my other story, I really wanted to do a SYOC for Killian's children (the Prince in my other SYOC). I had already decided to make them twins, a boy and a girl, who would have a Selection together, so here it is! This chapter was more of a background chapter, to get a feeling or Aurora and Jaxon and their relationship, and to provide a bit of background for those who haven't read the prequel to this story. I hope it was still good though, and you understood everything!**

 **As you could hopefully tell from this chapter, there will be 36 Selected. The Queen's province will be a female province, so that makes it: Seventeen boys, nineteen girls. I will work with main characters and supporting characters. The main characters will be POV characters, but this does not mean that they will make it to the Elite. Same goes for the supporting characters, just because your character is supporting, it does not mean that they don't have a chance. There will be five main female characters, five main male characters and the rest will be supporting. Depending on how many submissions I get, I will also have some throwaways. The story will be written in the POVs of Aurora, Jaxon and the mains.**

 **The Royal Family will also play a big part in this story, they will be introduced in the second chapter, as I wanted to keep this chapter between the siblings. A list of the Family is already on my profile, though. For the part of the form that is about the Royals, you can send that to me after the second chapter is up.**

 **As for the rules:**

 **\- This is NOT first come first serve. I will choose your characters according to how well I will be able to write them, how original they are and how many details they have. DETAILS are VERY important, I can't stress this enough. It's never too much, so please don't send me a few sentences for each portion of the form, because that will not help with getting your character accepted.**

 **\- You can send in one boy and one girl.**

 **\- PLEASE no Mary Sues or copies of the book characters.**

 **\- I want original characters; no one you have already submitted to someone else's Selection.**

 **\- Be diverse. Not just personality wise, but looks/ethnicity wise as well. Not everyone is white, so please send me some colored people. I would love to have different ethnicities.**

 **\- I will only accept submissions that are sent to me by PM. No submissions via reviews.**

 **\- PM me your character with this as the subject: First and last name, Caste, Province**

 **\- Have fun!**

 **There's a list with available provinces on my profile. You can see on the list which provinces are male and which are female. I don't want to make this too long so the form can be found on my profile.**

 **I have a pinterest account, you can find me by this link: /wolfofstark/ or by looking up my account which is wolfofstark. I will post everyone's faceclaims on there, you can already see the Royal Family's, and it will be a big part and visual of the story, so I hope you check it out! And for everyone who doesn't have pinterest but still want to know how Aurora and Jaxon look, their faceclaims are Sophie Turner and Logan Lerman.**

 **Happy submitting and I hope you're just as enthusiastic as I am!**

 **Before I go and end this long Author's Note, special thanks to L.C. Carraway who helped me out a lot, you're the best! If you haven't yet, check out her story about Eadlyn's son who is having a Selection of his own.**

 **Love,  
Wolf**


	2. A Summer's Ball

**Thank you so much for all the enthusiasm for this story and all the great characters that have been submitted. Thank you to my reviewers:** L.C. Carraway, XOStarbrightXO, morethanjustastory, Demigod18, Artemis' hunters, UnderTheJackPine, 4Love4Love4 **and** Guest **! If you are a guest reviewer, please leave me your name, it will make it easier for me to distinguish the guest reviews. Also thank you to everyone who followed and favorited, you're amazing!**

* * *

 **Prince Jaxon**

It had been a week since Aurora and I turned nineteen, which meant we were one week closer to the start of the Selection. The forms had been sent out, and preparations were starting. Everyone was excited, and I seemed to be the only one who was nervous.

Unlike Aurora, I wasn't a romantic. I prided myself in being a realist, though some would insist I was a pessimist. These negative feelings of mine and insecurity towards love weren't without reason, though. It was because of a big factor, something no one in my family had knowledge of, not even Aurora, and this factor had a name. Her name was Scarlett.

As I was about to be lost in the memories that I'd rather forget, a knock on my door interrupted me from going in too deep.

Aurora's red head peeked inside my room, a tiara balancing on top of her carefully braided updo. ''Are you ready? Elliana has gone to bed and it has already started.''

I shot one last glance at myself in the mirror, straightening my dark blue tie. ''I'm ready.''

I offered Aurora my arm, and she took it as we walked to the ballroom. The soft melodies of the piece the orchestra was playing could be heard as we turned the corner, the ball that was being held in honor of our nineteenth birthday already in full swing.

''How do I look?''

Aurora and I stopped in our tracks before we entered, and I smiled as I put a lock of her hair back into place. ''Like a real princess.'' Aurora always managed to look like a princess that had stepped out of a fairytale book, even on her more casual days. For this occasion, she wore a white dress that might look simple at first glance, but as soon as she stepped under a light, the sparkles in her dress revealed themselves like tiny stars.

The corners of her mouth quirked up while also rolling her bright blue eyes. It was funny how she could combine the sweetness of her smile with the slight annoyance of her rolling her eyes. ''What kind of compliment is that? You're just stating the fact that I am a princess.''

''Oh, please, your suitors will soon arrive to the Palace to give you all the compliments in the world.''

Aurora grabbed my arm again and rested her head on my shoulder. I hadn't inherited my father's tall legs, being only 5'7'', and my sister was the same height, which some guys would be insecure about. But not me. There were far bigger things to be insecure about than your height. ''And you will have girls fawning over you. Isn't that a nice prospect?''

If only she knew the real reason I was not looking forward to the Selection. Before I could speak any further, Dad scurried out of the ballroom. ''Where have you two been? You're late to your own party.''

''A Princess is never late. Everyone else is simply early,'' Aurora stated.

I chuckled at her comment, as she was quoting one of her favorite movies. ''I think it's a Queen who says that, not a Princess.''

''Details, details.'' Aurora glanced over to Dad, who was studying us with a smile plastered on his bearded face. ''We're ready Dad, you can announce us.''

Aurora tightened her grip on my arm, and we followed Dad into the ballroom. He grabbed a flute of champagne from the waiter and held up his hand, the orchestra halting their music at their King's signal. Mom had wheeled herself over to position her chair next to Dad, and he put a hand on her shoulder that she immediately took in her own.

''A week ago, my eldest son and daughter turned nineteen. There's not much for me to say, except that they have done me proud. They have grown into two amazing people, who are beautiful at heart and soul. I am sure that one of them will make a great ruler someday. Please, join me in congratulating our Prince and Princess.''

The whole room raised their glass at Dad's example, and words of congratulations were called out as Aurora and I raised our own flutes of champagne that the waiters handed to us. I took a sip, and saw in the corner of my eye that Aurora simply raised hers, without drinking, just like Dad did.

I felt a pang of guilt hit me as I saw Aurora handing back her flute to a waiter. While I knew it was not my fault, I still felt somewhat responsible, even though that was complete nonsense.

Dad was a recovering alcoholic. He had been sober for 22 years now, and the whole of Illéa knew of his situation as he had insisted on announcing it on a Report. He wanted the country to know that the Royals weren't perfect. We were no Gods, and we had our own flaws and issues.

Unfortunately, alcoholism was hereditary. While the chance of a son getting it from his father was much higher, in our case, Aurora was the one who struggled with it. She was nowhere near being an alcoholic, much different from when Dad was our age, but she preferred to stay away from the liquor. She once confided in me that she had a very strong desire to drink, but she didn't want to step over the line and fall into the dark pits of alcoholism, so her best option was to show restraint and not drink at all. I was immensely proud of her strength and succeeding in that.

''I can't believe my babies are all grown up.'' Mom had approached us, reaching out for our hands and giving them a tight squeeze. ''Your Dad and I are proud of you, more than you'll ever know.''

I bent down and planted a kiss on Mom's cheek. The love and pride I felt for our strong mother, who had overcome such adversities but still managed to be a strong Queen, mother and wife, could not be put into words. ''Thanks, Mom. Let's hope I'll be as lucky in my Selection as Dad was in his. I can only hope to find a girl that's half the incredible woman that you are.''

Aurora rolled her eyes as she jokingly elbowed me. ''You're such a suck up.''

Dad fondly smiled as he remembered his Selection. ''Not a chance. Your mother is one of a kind.''

Mom swatted at Dad's arm, reprimanding him. ''Killian! You should encourage him, and this is not the way to do so.''

Aurora chuckled as she watched Mom and Dad. ''Dad's right, though. How can we ever top the epic love story of King Killian and Queen Arizona?''

''Honey, every love story is epic in its own way. I'm sure you two will find your own.'' Mom answered, her kind eyes twinkling at the exciting prospect of her two eldest finding their soulmates.

I tugged at my tie, anxiety washing over me as we kept talking about true love and what now. ''Excuse me, but I see Damien hogging all the snacks, and I can't let him have them all.'' I hurried over to my cousin Damien, but not before I heard Aurora excusing herself as well, mentioning something about going to quickly see how her Northern Inuit Dog, Lady, was doing.

I smacked Damien on the shoulder as I approached him, who nearly choked on a macaron he had just shoved into his mouth. ''I knew I'd find you here.''

Damien grinned after he flushed the desert with a big gulp of champagne. ''You know me. How are you holding up, birthday boy? Already tired of all this Selection nonsense?''

Damien and his approach to girls were unlike my own. He was bold and flirtatious, but never one for serious relationships, something his mother always chastised him for. Aunt Yasmin was a romantic, Aurora was similar to her in personality, and was beloved by all. The citizens of Illéa adored her, especially after she decided to marry a guard, our Uncle Tristan, instead of her fiancé at the time, who was the Crown Prince Oskar of the Germen Federation. Lucky for her, her ex-fiancé had set his sights on one of Dad's Selected, Jia, who he married after their engagement broke.

''It's no nonsense. I'm supposed to find my wife.''

''I don't understand why you are not looking forward to a bunch of girls competing for your heart. Though the prospect of tying yourself to only one girl can be daunting.'' Damien remarked as he grabbed another macaron.

''Not everyone is like you,'' I mumbled as I snatched the macaron from his fingers and claimed it for myself. Even though Damien and I were different, we had grown up together in the Palace and were the best of friends. He was like the older brother I'd never had, not just to me, but to Aurora as well.

I felt an arm snake around my shoulder, and the smell of girly perfume enveloping my senses.

''Jaxon is a pure soul, he's not someone who toys around with girls' feelings. I know that's hard to grasp, big brother.'' My other cousin, Cerena, had joined us at the desert table, looking stunning in an eggplant purple dress, her dark tresses collected in a sideways braid.

Damien scoffed. ''I'm just enjoying life, I don't need your judgement.''

''Sure, just stay away from Jaxon's Selected. Those girls will not be here for you.'' Cerena's blue eyes searched the room, looking for her cousin and best friend. ''Where's Rory?''

''She went off to check up on Lady, she should be back in a few minutes.'' I answered, my eyes trained on the deserts sprawled in front of us, hoping they wouldn't bring up the Selection again.

Damien seemed to sense my apprehension to press the subject of the competition further, and he took another sip of champagne. ''Did you hear? Our dear friend Prince Lukas is coming to visit, and he'll stay for the duration of the Selection.''

Cerena raised an eyebrow. ''Prince Lukas? As in, the son of King Oskar and Queen Jia? The Lukas who is Aurora's ex? How can uncle Killian allow that? King Oskar already stirred up drama during his own Selection and now Lukas will be here?''

''Lukas won't stir up any drama,'' I said as I defended my friend. ''He may be Aurora's ex but she was the one who broke his heart, not the other way around. He and I have been friends for years, he's a good guy and he wouldn't do anything with my Selected. I was actually the one who asked him to visit.''

''And why would you do that?'' Damien asked, the annoyance in his voice unmissable. Damien had always been protective when it came to his family, especially Aurora and Cerena, and the fact that Lukas and Aurora used to be in a relationship didn't sit well with him.

''I will need all the support I can get. Don't forget he is my friend, one of my best friends, ''Damien gasped in mock hurt,'' yes; you are not the only one. I am not looking forward to the Selection and being surrounded by not only my family, but my friends as well will definitely improve the situation. I talked it over with Dad and he agreed, so it's done.''

''Does Rory know?'' Cerena asked.

I shook my head no. ''I haven't told her yet, but I will. Don't say anything to her, okay? I want to be the one to tell her.''

Damien huffed in annoyance but nodded. ''Fine, I won't say anything. But I promise you, she won't be happy.''

I grabbed a flute from champagne from a tray and took a large sip. ''I know.''

* * *

 **So that was chapter 2! As promised, I would show you more of the Royal Family. If you want to change the section in your form about the opinion/treatment of the Royal Family, please send it to me. They're going to be a big part of the story! I hope you enjoyed seeing more of their dynamic, and I'm sorry it took me a bit to get this chapter out.**

 **I have a request from you guys. If have you have reserved a province, PLEASE get your character to me in a week. If you haven't sent me your character yet by the 6th of August I will have to open up your Province's spot. I want to start the Selection and start writing from the Selected POVs, but I can't do that when I haven't chosen the main POVs yet, and I can't choose the POV characters when I haven't received all the characters yet. I know I can be slow myself with submitting characters, but I'm urging you to submit yours ASAP or your spot will open up! Thank you! **

**Love,**

 **Wolf**


	3. Meet Me Inside

**Here it is, chapter 3! This chapter actually includes two of the main characters, so get excited. In the Author's Note at the bottom, you can find the Main Characters List. I apologize in advance that this chapter is rather short, and if the POVs might suck, but I hope you still enjoy reading it! As always, thank you to my lovely reviewers:** L.C. Carraway, XOStarbrightXO, morethanjustastory, Demigod18, , Artemis' hunters, Canadaorbust, Irew2376, UnderTheJackPine, ChocolateChipPancakes (x2), Tiger75, celiawrites and GreenWithAwesome. **You guys are the best, thank you!**

* * *

 **Princess Aurora**

''You did _what_?!''

Lady jumped at my loud voice as she was trying to settle in in the corner of my room and nap. ''Sorry about that, Jax did something stupid and I needed to raise my voice at him,'' I said as I scratched her behind the ears.

''It's not stupid to invite one of my best friends to keep me company during the Selection,'' Jaxon protested.

''It is when he is my ex-boyfriend.'' I settled on my bed to tie the shoelaces of my sneakers. I couldn't believe Jaxon had the nerve to invite Lukas to stay at the Palace during our Selection. How was I supposed to focus on dating a bunch of guys with my ex running around?

''I thought you were over him.''

''I am. I don't have any feelings for Lukas left, but that doesn't make it less awkward.''

Jaxon sighed as he sat down next to me, running a hand through his hair. ''I'm sorry, Rory. But you know how much I'm dreading this Selection, and I needed a friend by my side. One who's not family. And at least I'll know that Lukas won't flirt with any of the Selected, unlike Damien.''

I had to chuckle at that. Our cousin Damien was not the most discreet, especially not when it concerned female attention. But as Jaxon's words sunk in, I frowned. ''Do you think Lukas is still not over me? It's been six months.''

''I _know_ he's still not over you.''

I sighed and tied my long red hair in a ponytail. ''Great. Well, maybe him seeing me with some other guys will do the trick.''

Jaxon smiled and stood to his feet, dragging me along with him. ''See? It's not that bad. Now, come on, uncle Tristan and Damien are waiting for us, and you know how uncle Tristan gets when we're late to our training.''

I groaned as Jaxon reminded me of the hour-long torture that was awaiting us. Ever since our aunt Yasmin got kidnapped during Dad's Selection, our parents and our aunt were adamant on us knowing how to defend ourselves. They didn't want us having to rely on our guards to protect us, because they might not always be around when we needed them. So, ever since we turned fourteen years old, once a week, we had self-defense classes with Damien and Cerena, given by uncle Tristan. While one might not think it when looking at Jaxon, he was actually surprisingly strong. Though he could not beat Damien, something the latter loved to brag about.

I linked my arm through Jaxon's, a habit I had, and followed him to the training rooms. ''Are you worried about Damien?''

Jaxon simply shrugged. ''I know he would never intentionally hurt me, but if he falls in love with a Selected, what can I do? They are matters of the heart and I can't stop them. I'm sure aunt Yasmin and Dad will warn him, though. But look at what happened in Dad's Selection, one of his Selected is now married to the King of the Germen Federation, and they met during his Selection. Anything can happen.''

''You are being way too calm about this,'' I remarked.

''Maybe, deep down, I'm just hoping that it will turn Damien around. Maybe he'll start taking girls more seriously, instead of seeing them as a mere plaything he can disregard when he's done with them.''

I shook my head and planted a kiss on Jaxon's cheek. ''You are such a good guy, you know that? Your heart is too pure for this world.''

''You are being overdramatic,'' Jaxon mumbled.

''No, I'm serious. The girl who is able to capture your heart can consider herself one of the luckiest girls on the planet.''

A look of hurt briefly flashed in Jaxon's eyes, but before I could ask him what was wrong, we had already arrived at our destination. ''Ready to kick some ass?''

''Bring it on.''

 **Bennett Easton**

''No.''

I tried to focus on my crossword puzzle, but my mother kept shoving the Selection form into my face.

'' _Please_ , Benny, just consider it,'' Mom practically begged. ''You might fall in love with the Princess.. You might reconsider-''

''No. I am not entering and I told you already, my decision to forgo treatment is final. I do not want to deal with chemo and all the side effects for the second time. It may have worked the first time but the cancer returned and there is nothing we can do.''

My Dad looked up from his newspaper with a tired look in his brown eyes. ''Leave the boy alone, Mary. He has made his decision and we need to support him.''

Grateful for the support, I stood up from the dinner table and grabbed Sadie's leash. ''I'm going for a walk.''

As soon I was outside, I took a deep breath of fresh air and scratched our sheepdog behind the ears as she happily turned her head and licked my hand. I laughed at her antics, holding onto her leash to take her for a walk through the woods near our house.

I was grateful to be away from my Mom's desperate pleas. While I understood her reasoning, there was no way I was going to enter the Selection. I could not deny Princess Aurora's beauty, I had seen her on television and in the magazines, but it was of no use. I was not meant to fall in love. Not anymore.

Ever since I went into remission after my treatment, everything seemed to be going great. I proposed to my girlfriend, Lucy; I returned to work at the lab and was planning on attending a symposium in Europe in two years. Then, my cancer returned, and that was it. As I was informed in the area, I knew that a second round of aggressive treatment meant that my likelihood of recurrence in the future was even higher, so I made my decision. No more treatments.

Of course, this wasn't easy for my family to accept, least of all for my Mom and older sister. Persuading me to enter the Selection was another one of her attempts to make me consider treatment, but I was not budging.

I sighed and undid Sadie's belt, allowing her to run freely as I buried my hands in my pockets, but not before checking my watch. I still had an hour left before I needed to start my shift volunteering at the pediatric department of the local hospital.

''Bennett?''

I turned around when I heard the familiar voice, and the girl I had dated for three years was standing there, shifting from one foot to the other as she looked nervous to see me. ''Lucy.''

The corners of her mouth curled up into a small smile. ''How have you been?''

''Good, how are you?'' A glimmer caught my eyes, and I saw the engagement ring sitting proudly on her finger. ''I heard that you're engaged.''

Lucy swallowed and nodded, trying to hide her hand behind her back.

''Are you happy?''

''I am. He makes me happy.''

''That's good. You deserve someone like him, someone who can give you happiness.'' _Something I could have never given you._

Lucy played with her fingers, a nervous tick she had always had, and I could see the conversation was making her uncomfortable, so I cleared my throat and called for Sadie. ''Well, have a great day. It was nice to see you.''

I continued making my way through the forest with Sadie. If I had ever doubted my decision to break up with Lucy, those doubts were all gone. Hearing that she was happy was all I ever wanted, and it made my resolve to not enter the Selection even stronger. No one could convince me otherwise, not even my mother.

 **Arella Hawthorne**

This was it. The moment I had been prepared for all my life. Prince Jaxon's Selection and my chance at becoming a Princess.

I stared at the form on my desk, already completely filled out in my elegant handwriting that I had perfected over the years. One of my personal maids, Bailey, was combing my hair was I was preparing for bed.

''Are you excited for the Selection, Miss Hawthorne?'' she asked.

''I haven't even been Selected yet,'' I answered as I neatly folded the form, though I knew that it wasn't going to be a challenge for me to be Selected, with my father being the wealthiest man in Whites.

Bailey nodded as she put down the hairbrush and took one last glance at my room, making sure everything was left perfect. Content with her work, she smiled at me, ''Good night, Miss Hawthrone'', and left the room.

As soon as Bailey had left, I grabbed a book from my nightstand and crawled into bed. Though I was tired, I couldn't sleep yet. As was my nightly ritual, I had to continue studying. Not that I was a student, no, I just needed to learn everything there was. I needed to be as perfect as I could be. For mother.

From the moment I was born, I had been bred to be a Princess. Mother had always been bitter that she hadn't been selected for King Killian's Selection. Born a Four, she wanted power. So when she gave birth to a daughter, she promised herself that she would become the next Princess or Queen and she would spend her entire life preparing her daughter for the Crown. Unfortunately, as an only child, that expectation fell on me.

I had never known anything else, nothing of my own dreams or aspirations, than achieving my mother's goal for me. And finally, after all the preparations, the time had come. Would I be able to do it? Could I win?

I sighed and tried to focus on the text before me, reading the words on the paper and soaking in all the information. But before long, my mind was consumed with thoughts once again.

Mother's words from this morning came to mind, the words she spoke as we received the Selection forms. _Come home a princess or don't come home at all._ The Selection hadn't even started yet and my nerves were already playing up. How was I going to make it through?

* * *

 **Those were our first two main characters! Like I said, not my longest chapter, but I still hope it was good. Now, onto the list for the main characters:**

 **Male Main Characters:**

 **\- Bennett Easton**

 **\- Dexter Williams**

 **\- Christian Lucas**

 **\- Spencer Carswell**

 **\- Larkin Creed**

 **Female Main Characters:**

 **\- Sabrina O'Clery**

 **\- Camilla Avelar**

 **\- Marian ''Mare'' Dyston**

 **\- Livia Carver**

 **\- Arella Hawthorne**

 **And the rest of the characters are supporting. Like I said before, this does not mean that all these characters are in the Elite and this does also not mean that we will never see or hear from the supporting characters. There's still POVs from Aurora and Jaxon, and they can also be included in the Mains POV. I chose these characters for Mains because I felt like I could write them best, I felt that their POVs would be diverse and interesting and they had enough detail for me to work with. I hope that even though your character is supporting, you'll still be reading because it doesn't mean they will disappear!**

 **One more thing before I go and end this long A/N, not all the characters will get a POV before the Selection actually starts, because I think that doing all the main characters before the start of the Selection can get tedious, and I want to get this story going, so some will be when travelling to the Palace, some during makeovers etc. etc.**

 **Okay, no, I lied. One last thing: I think a lot of you didn't understand what I meant in the form when I said ''rest of the Royal Family'', at the treatment/thoughts part. What I meant with rest of the Royal Family, was Damien, Cerena, Yasmin and Tristan. Damien and Cerena especially will spend a lot of time with the Selected, so if you want to change/add something, please PM me!**

 **Thank you for reading and have a great week!**

 **Love,**

 **Wolf**


	4. Talk Less, Smile More

**I'm still here! I'm so sorry that this update took longer than usual, but law school has been chaotic and I've basically been at uni until 10PM most of the weekdays, so I've been tired and uninspired. So updates won't come as quick, but hopefully not as slow as this one was! As always, I want to thank my lovely reviewers:** morethanjustastory, ShaelynnSophia, L.C. Carraway, GreenWithAwesome, Canadaorbust, Artemis' hunters, 4Love4Love4, drakel19088, XOStarbrightXO, ryaspirit, Demigod18, UltimateMaxmericaShipper, Daughter of Tigris, Waffle0, celiawrites and Irew2376! **I still can't believe the amount of love this story is getting. You all rock, and enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Prince Jaxon**

Though it was a warm, sunny day in Angeles, Damien and Cerena had decided to give us the last part of our birthday gifts late in the evening. We already knew what it was, and after some begging and convincing, our parents agreed to the idea. Though Dad did have one condition, and that was to bring Aunt Yasmin along. He wanted to make sure we didn't get anything outrageous etched permanently on our Royal bodies.

And so we found ourselves in a dimly lit street of Angeles, flanked by our guards, staring at the 'Closed'sign on the door of the tattoo shop.

''It looks closed,'' I remarked.

''No shit, Sherlock. Lucky for us, the owner was more than willing to open his shop after hours just so we won't be disturbed by millions of cameras,'' Damien said, as he walked up the door and raised his fist, knocking three times. A light sprung on inside, and the door swung open to reveal a heavily tattooed, large man with the fullest beard I had ever seen. It was quite admirable.

As soon as the man spotted us, he immediately squared his immense shoulders and bowed. ''Your Highnesses. Welcome to my humble shop. The name's Curtis,'' the man said in a surprisingly high voice, a voice that didn't fit his appearance one bit.

Aurora smiled and entered the shop with the rest of us trailing behind. ''Thank you for agreeing to this. I hope it's not too much trouble.''

Curtis shook his head. ''I am more than honored, Your Highness. It's not every day I get to tattoo members of the Royal Family.''

Aunt Yasmin, who had been silent the whole way here, finally spoke up. ''I can imagine it's not. Curtis, will you please give us a moment alone?'' He nodded and left to the back room of the shop, and Aunt Yasmin turned to us, her dark eyebrows frowning. ''Are you sure about this? This is something permanent, and you two,'' she looked at me and Aurora, ''can't have it in a visible spot. Do you even know what you're getting?''

''Oh, Cerena and Aurora are getting a tramp stamp,'' Damien managed with a straight face.

Cerena glared at her brother, before turning back to her mother. ''Of course we do, Mom. You underestimate us. We have thought about this and we want to get something that symbolizes our connection as the Fantastic Four. Something meaningful.''

Aunt Yasmin shook her head at the ridiculous nickname we had bestowed on our band of four when we were younger. ''And what is it you're getting?''

''The geometric symbols of the four elements,'' I remarked.

''The four elements?'' Aunt Yasmin repeated with a raised eyebrow.

''It's perfect. There are four distinct elements, like the four of us. We are nothing alike yet we balance each other out. Aurora, for instance, is fire. Strong-willed, outspoken and passionate. Damien, with his spontaneity, charisma and boldness, is clearly air. And Cerena is earth; trustworthy, steadfast and supportive. And these are just our positive traits.''

''And that makes you, water? Sensitive, genuine and even-tempered?'' Aunt Yasmin asked with a hint of a smile on her face.

Aurora wrapped an arm around me and beamed. ''Of course he is. Isn't a great idea, Aunt Yas? We did our research and found that the four elements perfectly described our personalities, almost creepily so. Besides, our friendship is so valuable to us that we will never regret permanently etching it on our skin. It's already there in our hearts, why not show it?''

Aunt Yasmin seemed to be blinking away a few tears, her blue eyes watery, before a huge grin broke out on her face. ''I have to admit, it's a brilliant idea. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see the love between the four of you. It's such a rare and beautiful thing. Make sure to treasure it for the rest of your lives.'' She reached out and took our hands in her tiny ones, or at least she tried to.

Curtis stuck his head around the corner, as if sensing that the time was right. ''Ready?''

Cerena nodded and squeezed her mother's hand. ''We're ready.''

…

Less than an hour later, we were done. Our skin was inked with a symbol of our friendship. Four little triangles, representing four elements and our four different personalities.

Aurora had decided to place hers on the right side of her rib, and my upside down triangle was tattooed just beneath my right collar bone. Cerena and Damien went for more visible spots, with Damien's triangle on his inner left bicep, and Cerena's on the back of her heel.

''I can't believe how much that hurt,'' Damien groaned as we sat in our limo, riding back to the Palace.

''I can't believe how much of a baby you were,'' Cerena laughed. ''Rory had the most painful spot and she barely flinched. Jaxon was even more stoic and you were acting like you just got stabbed.''

''Hey. My arm is very sensitive.''

We all laughed at the invincible, arrogant Damien who apparently didn't like needles very much. Damien growled and folded his arms, but the movement pressed his sore skin against his torso which made him wince once again, and made us laugh even harder.

''All jokes aside, you kids didn't choose the best timing. After all, the Report announcing your Selected is tonight,'' Aunt Yasmin remarked.

Aurora teasingly poked Damien in the side. ''It's not that bad. We're not all babies like Damien over here.''

Damien rolled his eyes. ''I'm going to hear about this for the rest of my life, aren't I?''

Cerena, Aunt Yasmin and Aurora continued teasing Damien, but my mind drifted off. The mere mention of the Report tonight brought my nerves right back from the corner of my mind I had tucked them away in. It was really happening, and there was nothing more I could do. Tonight, I would see the faces of the Selected. Tonight, I would see my future wife.

 **Princess Aurora**

''Are you nervous?'' my maid, Scarlett, asked as she put the finishing touches on my makeup. Tonight was the night of the most anticipated Report. The announcement of our Selected.

I glanced at Scarlett as she finished up my highlighter. My maid, and friend, was a gorgeous girl, there was no denying that. She had piercing light green eyes, in some lights it looked more like a light blue, and olive skin and dark blonde hair, though both shades could be described as gold. Her lips were plump and her features fit perfectly in her face, making her look like a doll, but not as fragile. I knew first-hand how snarky she could sometimes be, but I appreciated her honesty and how good she was at her work.

''Did you enter the Selection?''

Scarlett's eyebrows knitted together, as if the question brought up bad memories, and then nodded. ''I did. Might as well take the chance, right?''

''I hope you'll get Selected. You and Jaxon would look quite good together.'' Again, Scarlett frowned, but as if she remembered something, quickly plastered a smile on her face, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

''You're all done.''

I took a step back and looked at myself in the full length mirror. I was wearing an incredibly beautiful dress that glittered with every move I made. It was strapless, of a light, lilac purple colour with a sweetheart neckline and a gold leaf belt tied around my waist. The bodice was sown with sequins of a slightly darker purple that trailed down the skirt and got less and less until none were left. My fiery tresses were held up with a braided updo and topped off with one of my favourite tiaras. It was a gilt one, featuring three oval amethysts and surrounded by seed pearls, with vine leaf motifs and grape clusters made of the same pearls. I looked like a real Princess. Like the future Queen.

''Thank you, Scarlett. Once again, you've done a wonderful job.''

''You make it easy,'' Scarlett smiled as she started clearing out my vanity.

A knock on my door alerted me that it was time. I straightened my tiara one more time and headed to the studio where the Report was filmed. Everyone was already there, and I scanned the crowd, looking for my twin. I spotted him soon enough, a crown balancing on his dark hair and dressed in a black suit, his tie matching with the colour of my dress. I was about to take a step towards him when my breath hitched. He was talking to someone. Someone I knew very well. _Lukas._ When had he arrived?

His dark curls bounced as he laughed with Jaxon, and I could see my brother was more relaxed than he had been in days.

''They seem really close.'' Damien suddenly appeared next to me, looking dashing in a fitted grey suit. He had his armed crossed in front of his chest and was eyeing Lukas suspiciously. Partly because of his past with me, but also partly because of his current friendship with Jaxon.

''You sound jealous.''

Damien huffed, but he knew he couldn't lie to me. ''Jealous of him? Why would I?''

''He's not the one who shares a tattoo with Jax, you are. Jax and Lukas are just.. very alike. They're probably talking about some book they recently read, or sharing their philosophical view of the world we live in. They're both calm and collected, and they share the same interests. But what you and Jax have, what all four of us have, is different. It's special. So do not worry.'' I couldn't help the smile that graced my lips as I looped my arm through Damien's. ''Once you finally mature enough to stick with one girl, I envy her. If you are so loving and protective of your cousins, then you must treat her like a Princess and as if she's the only one who matters in this world.''

Damien kept his gaze on Jaxon and Lukas. ''I'm not a romantic like you. Don't count on it. And don't open your heart to too many guys in this Selection, Rory. You will only choose one, and I wouldn't want you to end up with a broken heart because of your romantic mind.'' He took my hand of his arm and pressed a kiss on my knuckles. ''Because any guy who hurts you, will have to deal with the Damien.''

He started out so sweet, but that ending made me burst out in laughter. '' _The Damien?_ Oh, you mean the Damien who found a few lines inked in his skin to hurt?''

Damien threw his hands up in the air. ''I try to be sweet, but it is never appreciated.''

I shook my head. ''No, I do appreciate it. Thank you, my sweet but scary cousin. Now, if you excuse me, I need a glass of water before the madness starts.''

I made my way to the refreshments table, my heels clicking on the floor, but as soon as I saw the curly haired German Prince standing near it, I regretted my decision. Why didn't I check first if he was still with Jaxon?

He looked up from his glass, his brown eyes locking on mine, and it was too late for me to turn back. I managed a smile as I walked up to him, and his eyes were as warm as I remembered them, his gaze intent as I approached him.

''Lukas. I didn't know you had already arrived.''

''I arrived a few hours ago. Is this how we greet each other now?'' he asked, his accent thick but his voice clear and smooth as velvet. He put down his glass and extended his arms to me, pulling me into a gentle hug, making sure not to mess up my hair.

I chuckled as I released him, relief flooding me as he still seemed the same old Lukas. ''I thought you would be angry with me. I wasn't sure how eager you were to see me.''

''I hold no anger for you. I never could.''

I fidgeted with the belt on my dress, not looking forward to the next part. Jaxon was right. He still carried a torch for me, and I had to make clear that I didn't. ''Lukas, look. I – ''

Lukas held up a hand before I could continue. ''You don't have to say anything. I know. Jaxon made it very clear to me that there was no chance of us getting back together. You have your Selection to focus on, and your future husband will soon arrive to the Palace. I am not a candidate in the competition for your hand, I am aware of that. That does not mean that I can simply erase my feelings for you. But that also doesn't mean I will sabotage your Selection. I am here for Jaxon, and I can also be here for you. We can still be friends, like we used to be. Wouldn't you like that, Aurora?''

I was stunned by his heartfelt response, and for once, was speechless.

Lukas smiled, an amused twinkle in his warm eyes. ''Aurora?''

Aurora. Lukas was the only one close to me who didn't call me Rory. Sure, Mom and Dad called me Aurora when they were giving me one of their lectures, which wasn't often, and an Aurora slipped in here and there by the others, but Lukas never called me Rory. Simply because, as he said it, he loved my name.

I shook myself out of my reverie, and returned Lukas' smile. ''Thank you. That means more to me than you'll ever know.''

A stagehand approached us. ''Two minutes until airtime, Your Highness.''

I nodded, and the nerves I hadn't felt before suddenly hit me with the speed of light. This was it. One of the faces I was about to see was _the One_. The One I would marry, the One who would be by my side as I ruled the country. How could I not have been nervous before? My understanding for my twin grew by the seconds, as my nerves grew with it.

Lukas, always the observant one, seemed to notice as he took my hand in his, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Like a breeze of air, the nerves subsided, and I shot him a grateful look. Calming me down had always been one of his specialties, and he hadn't lost that talent in the time we were apart.

''Don't be nervous. It will be okay.''

I nodded and inhaled, feeling my muscles relax before I exhaled. I gave his hand one last squeeze before I let go. ''I should go look for my parents and Jax. It is time for us to see the sons and daughters of Illéa.''

* * *

 **I hope you all don't hate me for that ending. I was so conflicted on how to do the Report chapter, because frankly, most of the time they tend to be boring. I didn't want to just list off every Selected and the way they look, so I decided to do it like this. Next chapter will have the twins discussing some of them, and their first impressions/who stood out to them etc. (Damien will probably have an opinion on the girls as well haha. I also love how some of you have a crush on Damien because of his face claim).  
At first, I wanted to also do a Selected POV in this chapter, but then I changed my mind and decided to dedicate the chapter to the Fantastic Four and some cameos! The famous Lukas has finally arrived, and you guys have caught a glimpse of Scarlett, remember her?  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think! I had so much fun thinking of the tattoos for the foursome, and if you have a pinterest, check out the Royal Family board because I have ''photoshopped'' their tattoos on their faceclaims. You can also see the outfits of this chapter (including Aurora's fabulous dress and tiara).**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Love,**

 **Wolf**


	5. We Are Waiting in the Wings For You

**I warned you updates would take a bit longer, and unfortunately, this one was late as well. But better late than never, right? Before I continue, I need to know if anyone watches The Walking Dead because I'm still not over that season premiere. Okay, onto my lovely reviewers! Thank you** L.C. Carraway, morethanjustastory, ShaelynnSophia, Canadaorbust, XOStarbrightXO, GreenWithAwesome, xxScarlett , celiawrites, Irew2376 and Shouta Izukai **for the continuous support! You are the best, thank you so much!**

* * *

 **Prince Jaxon**

This was it. The Report was over, the names were drawn and our Selected were chosen. There was no going back.

I hadn't even registered all the faces that flashed on the screen, my mind had been a chaotic mess of thoughts, so when Rory suggested we retreated back to my room to go over all the forms, I eagerly obliged.

Damien and I were already spreading all the forms on my bed when Rory and Cerena walked in. Both had traded in their gowns for their pajamas, and the glittering jewels that were on Rory's head were safely stashed away. Trailing behind them was Elliana, her goldfish plushy tucked under one arm and a picture book held in the other.

''Jaxie!''

She dashed towards me, her dark blonde hair flowing behind her as she jumped in my outstretched arms.

''She wouldn't sleep without you telling her a story first,'' Rory told me, stroking Elliana's hair and pressing a kiss on her head. ''It's quite obvious who her favorite sibling is.''

I grinned as I sat down on the bench in front of my head, holding Elliana in my arms. ''Do you want me to tell you a story, Elli? Hmm let me guess, does it have to be about.. mermaids, perhaps?''

''Yes!'' Elliana exclaimed, folding open her picture book that was filled with images of various mermaids and fish. Elliana had inherited her love of swimming from my father, who had made sure an indoor swimming pool was built in the Palace.

Cerena, Damien and Rory decided to start looking through the forms, but I wasn't about to join them until I had given Elli what she wanted.

''Which mermaid do you want the story to be about?''

Elli flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She pointed at a blue-haired mermaid with a purple fishtail. ''This one!''

I nodded. ''I can work with that. Hmm.. She seems like an adventurous mermaid, doesn't she?''

''She does! Look at her pretty hair. Can I have blue hair, Jaxie?''

I laughed and shook my head no. ''Maybe once you're older, Elli. Okay, here we go. Long, long ago, lived a blue-haired mermaid..''

By the end of the story, Elliana was fast asleep. I handed her over to a maid who would bring her to bed, but not before pressing a kiss on her round cheek. ''Sweet dreams.''

I turned to the others once the door closed behind the maid, my anxiety returning with the departure of my little sister.

''How do our Selected look?''

''You clearly haven't paid attention during the Report,'' Rory said as she pulled me towards the stacks of forms. ''Damien, Cerena and I already have our favorites.''

Damien flashed his signature grin, and looked around the room. ''Is the German dude not joining us?''

''Damien, don't pretend you don't know his name. And no, I thought it would be better if he didn't.''

''Good. Let's go over your Selected.'' Damien showed me all the female forms, but I couldn't help but glance at Rory's forms at well. One of these guys was going to marry my sister and be her King, and I wasn't sure I would ever find anyone good enough for her.

Rory pointed to a file with a picture attached of a proud looking girl. Glasses framed her thin, pale blue eyes, and her dark brown hair was tied in a short ponytail. ''Hania Sharpe, a Three from St. George. She's a chemical engineer, how cool is that? She's obviously smart, which you'll like, and her hobbies include puzzles and debating. I think you'll like her.''

This was already getting overwhelming.

It was Damien's turn. ''My personal choice would be Cadence Blackstone. She's a gorgeous Five who's the principal dancer with the Zuni Ballet Company, so she'll obviously have a great body.'' This earned him a smack on the head from Cerena. ''Ow! I was just making an observation! Anyway, just look at her.'' Damien held up her form, and from her picture, I could tell that she was a beautiful girl, but also intimidating. In a way, she reminded me of Scarlett, which wasn't a good thing. I nodded but didn't comment.

Cerena picked the form of a youthful looking girl with expressive green eyes. She had a glowing tan that showed me she was out in the sun a lot, which Cerena confirmed. ''Amora Gardel is a professional surfer. Besides surfing, she likes swimming and photography, and she loves being outside. She sounds like the complete package to me.''

I nodded again, my head spinning from this information, and these were only three girls. I needed some time alone tonight to read through all the forms. But nothing could ever prepare me.

Rory sensed my lack of words, and quickly rotated the conversation to her own Selected. ''Now, let's take a look at my boys!''

Cerena chuckled. ''You have a good batch of them.''

''And a baby daddy.'' Damien commented.

''A _what_?'' I exclaimed, certain I had not heard it right.

''One of the Selected has a baby.'' Rory showed me his form. Spencer Carswell, a professional car racer. ''But it's fine, I don't mind. Why should I judge him for what happened in his past? We're not perfect and I don't expect my Selected to be perfect either.''

''Are you sure you're okay with this?''

Rory nodded. ''I am. Trust me.''

I sighed and put Spencer's form back on the bed. If Spencer had been born before our father's reign, he wouldn't have gotten away with having a child out of wedlock. Illéa had a law that required every citizen to stay virgins until marriage, so a child out of wedlock was out of question. But since Aunt Yasmin got pregnant with Damien when she was seventeen, and unmarried, Dad made sure to overturn the law once he became King, while Aunt Yasmin was still pregnant. Nobody in the country knew that our aunt was pregnant before she and Uncle Tristan got married. They made sure it was kept secret.

''Okay, can I show you my pick?'' Cerena showed us her form. ''Dexter Williams. He's a construction worker, so from a low caste, but look at his smile.'' Dexter had a nice set of straight teeth which he showed off with his wide smile. I glanced at Rory, and she looked to be taken by his photo. Her lips curved into a smile and she kept her eyes on his picture.

''Good choice, Cerena. He has one of the best smiles I've ever seen.''

Damien cracked his knuckles and sighed. ''This Selection is going to be such a tiring process. I'll constantly have to keep my eyes on everyone.''

''I'd prefer it if you kept your eyes on Rory's Selected, not mine,'' I said.

Damien rolled his eyes and grabbed one of Rory's forms. ''They'll have my priority. Can't have anyone breaking our future Queen's heart.''

''Smart boy, you have to stay in my good graces.'' Rory joked as she wrapped her arms around Damien's shoulders. ''Show me your choice.''

''I picked this guy for one reason, and one reason only: he loves James Bond.''

Rory chuckled as she took the form from one Damien's hands, and I stood next to her to look at the form. Christian Lucas had a smirk plastered on his face, another guy with a perfectly white smile. These guys were starting to make me feel self-conscious about my smile. Rory, once again, seemed very much taken by this Selected.

''Look at those cheekbones and that jaw. You and him will create some beautiful children.'' Cerena examined Christian's picture, and whistled. ''You can't deny his attractiveness.''

''It's a bit too early to talk about children, isn't it? But I agree. Another good choice.'' Rory put Christian's form back on the pile, and looked at me with an expectant expression on her face.

''I can't just pick randomly, can I? I haven't paid enough attention during the Report and Elli kept me preoccupied while you guys were going over all the forms.''

Rory nodded in agreement. ''Fair enough. But I do want to hear your choice tomorrow.''

''That's a promise. Now, please give me some time to go over all these girls because I feel like if my head starts spinning any more, it'll fly off.''

 **Marian Dyston**

I sat in complete shock, still not processing what had just happened. My face, _mine_ , had appeared on the tv screen. On _the Report._ I was Selected.

My older sister, Robyn, screamed in my ear as she pulled me into a tight hug. ''You did it!''

The shock was slowly joined by excitement, and I wrapped my arms around my sister and screamed along with her. ''I did it!''

I would finally be able to find love.

My mother enveloped us both in a hug, her green eyes shining with pride. ''Your grandmother would have been so proud.''

My excitement was replaced by a sad nostalgia when my mother mentioned my _baba._ It had been nine years since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and five years since her death. Her death set Robyn off the rails and the life I knew had fallen apart.

I snapped myself out of the bad memories, trying not to get myself sucked back into that dark period of time. Everything was well, Robyn was doing well, and that was all that mattered. All I had to focus on. Well, not all. I had another thing to add and look forward to: the Selection.

I untangled myself from our hug, and got off the couch. ''I need to call Alyssa. She's probably already freaking out.''

''I don't think that will be possible, honey. The Palace will most likely call you within the next few minutes,'' Mom said.

''They can't be that fast,'' I replied as I walked over to our landline. Sure enough, before I could even touch the phone, it started ringing. I glanced at my mother, who smirked at me. _Told you so,_ was what her face said.

I sighed and picked up the phone. ''This is Mare.''

''Marian Dyston?'' a feminine voice asked from the other line.

''Yes, that's me, but I prefer Mare.''

I could almost feel the person on the other line waving me off. ''My name is Cora Harrison, and I'm your aide from the Palace. Congratulations on being Selected.''

Overwhelmed by what was happening, I replied in a stammering voice. ''Thank you.''

''I will be flying over in two days to go over some things with you, and to ensure that all the information you filled out was correct. Then, two weeks after, you'll be having your sendoff and you will depart to Angeles to start the Selection. Do you have any questions?''

I was in too big of a shock to even think of questions. ''No, no questions.''

''Good. That will be all for now, enjoy your evening and congratulations once again.'' I heard the click of Cora hanging up, and I did the same. I turned to my mother and sister, who had an eager look on their face.

''Well? What was that about?'' Robyn asked.

''They're coming in two days, and I'll leave for the Palace in two weeks.''

My father chose to finally come out of his office, and he caught the last part of my sentence. ''Palace? Two weeks? What's going on?'' His reading glasses were pushed up on his head, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days, probably busy learning something new or grading papers. It was the life of a professor.

''Mare has been Selected,'' Mom announced as she walked over to Dad and wrapped an arm around his waist.

''Ah, Selected.. Congratulations, honey.'' He obviously didn't know how to react to his daughter entering a competition to win the Prince's heart, but I didn't miss the proud tone in his voice.

''Thanks, Dad.''

''But who will be the one cooking for us, now that you're leaving?'' Dad asked as he tried to rub the tiredness out of his eyes.

''With the money we'll receive from Mare's participation, we can hire our own cook if we wanted to. We'll probably starve since you two barely have any time to cook with your buys jobs, and Mare, unlike me, could actually cook. '' Robyn remarked. Obviously, my parents wouldn't spend the money on something as frivolous as a cook.

I laughed along with Robyn and realized just how much I would miss my older sister. I had spent one month without her when she was in jail, and that had been one of the worst months of my life. At least this time around, it wasn't because of something awful.

With the phone still in my hand, I turned to look at my family. ''Now, can I please call Alyssa before reporters start swarming our house?''

Dad looked like that thought alone gave him a panic attack, and he nodded. ''Yes, yes, call your friend.'' He glanced out of the window, concern etched on his face, before looking at my mother. ''Do you really think they'll come to the house? Our garden has just been redone.''

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! We got some Elliana, who I haven't given enough time up until this point, sorry child, the Fantastic Four choosing their favorites and a Selected is introduced! Let me know what you thought of this chapter and please review! I love getting reviews and they really motivate me.**

 **And because I can never keep these A/N's short, I have two more things. One, I'm planning on doing instagram profiles for all the Selected. Or actually, morethanjustastory is doing them for me. I already posted the Royal's instagrams on pinterest, check them out, and would like one for every Selected. Some of you who are on Pinterest have already gotten this question from me, but please send me your character's username, bio and preferably also what type of pictures they'd post. That would be a great help!**

 **Another thing I want to do is come up with ''tags'' for the Mains. You know how in the Selection series, Celeste was The Diva, Kriss was The Sweetheart, Marlee The Favorite and Elise The Perfectionist? I really liked those and I thought, why not have that in STO as well? So I already came up with them and I will reveal them once all the mains are introduced, but if you have a suggestion for your character, don't hesitate to PM me!**

 **Oh and one last thing, I promise this is the last one, if you have a male Selected, please PM me how they'd react to/treat Lukas before, and after they find out that he is Rory's ex. Much appreciated!**

 **Okay, that was all I had to say. Until next time! Thank you for reading!**

 **Love,**

 **Wolf**


	6. We'll Give the World to You

**Still inconsistent at uploading, but I'm back again! I have exams next week that last three weeks so I don't know if I'll be able to update before that, so enjoy this chapter! As always, thank you so much to my lovely reviewers:** morethanjustastory, Canadaorbust, drakel19088, XOStarbrightXO, ChillyIce, ShaelynnSophia, GreenWithAwesome, xxScarlett, L.C. Carraway, Shouta Izukai, Irew2376 and 4Love4Love4 (x2). **You are my motivation!**

* * *

 **Princess Aurora**

While Jaxon was beginning to succumb under the stress, my mind was focused on something more important. Exams.

Yes, the Crown Princess had to take an exam. While Jaxon and I were tutored from the moment we started uttering our first words, in everything politics and history, I felt that it was my obligation as the future Queen to expand my horizon. So, with the support of my parents, I enrolled in classes at the local University of Angeles, majoring in Gender Studies and minoring in Environmental Studies. Jaxon did the same, but he had the luxury of studying something he was interested in, so he chose to major in Philosophy and minor in Art History.

Our palace education had prepared us for further education at a faster pace than others our age, so Jaxon and I were able to start our University classes at the age of sixteen, and now, at the age of nineteen, we had only a few exams left before getting our degree. Our plan of finishing before our Selection started was well on its way.

A knock on the door tore my attention away from the books and notes on my desk. ''Come in.''

The door swung open and Dad walked in, clad in a fitted black suit, looking as dashing as ever. ''I thought I'd swing by before leaving.''

I put down my pen and rubbed my temples, suddenly aware of how heavy my head felt. ''I didn't realize it was nighttime already.''

Dad smiled and glanced down at my desk, filled with notes, books, pens and notebooks. ''I don't know how you and Jax manage to do it. Seeing this alone gives me a headache.''

I snorted. ''Yeah, well, we don't have the luxury to party like you did at our age, Dad.''

Dad's smile disappeared, his face taking on a serious expression. His past had always been a difficult topic for him to address. ''That wasn't the best period in my life. I would say that if I could, I would go back and change it, but if I did, I wouldn't be the man I am today. Every mistake we make is a learning experience, so don't be afraid to slip up sometimes, Aurora. I understand more than anyone the pressure that is on you, but you're going to make an excellent Queen, my sweet.''

My family had always been my biggest support, and I was well aware of their support and belief in me, but Jaxon had always been the preferred twin in the eyes of the public when it came to the heir. The heir would be announced after our Selection was over, and I couldn't help but feel anxious over the impending reactions. Would our people rejoice? Would they agree with having me as their Monarch? Or would they protest and demand Jaxon as their ruler?

I could only hope that all the hard work I had put towards my future reign would pay off.

I had been so lost in my thoughts and concerns that I hadn't noticed that Dad had started cleaning up the mess on my desk. He noticed my furrowed brow and arranged all my notes in a neat pile. ''You're done for today. Those bags under your eyes are not going to be a good look for when your Selected arrive, who are leaving their Provinces today, if you might recall.''

I pushed the thoughts about my prospective rule to the side and perked up when Dad mentioned the Selected. ''You're right. Jaxon and I will have our last exams tomorrow and then the day after, our Selection can finally start.''

The corners of Dad's mouth curled up when he saw my excitement, and he pulled me up to wrap his arms around me in a slightly bone crushing hug. ''Where did the time go?'' he mumbled into my hair, and I rolled my eyes at his sudden nostalgia. ''I still remember the day you two were born as if it was yesterday. And now, you two are going to start your journey to find your husband and wife. And I'm going to have to try to not give those poor guys a hard time.''

''I'm sure Damien has got you covered. Now go, Dad, you're going to be late to the gala.''

Dad nodded as he released me from his grip and took a step back. ''Enjoy one of your last free nights.'' He stroked my cheek one last time and left the room.

I turned back to my desk, smiling as I saw how neat Dad had left it. Dad was right, this was going to be one of the last nights the palace wasn't going to be swarmed with more guys and girls, and I wasn't going to spend it studying for an exam I was pretty sure I was going to ace.

I opened one of my drawers and took out a file that had all the information about the logistics of the Selection. The female Selected were going to be put on the third floor, and the male Selected on the fourth. The stairs leading to the third floor was located in the south of the Palace, while the one leading to the fourth was on the north, so the Selected wouldn't run into each other each time someone made their way to their room or left it.

Then, of course, we had a Women's Room and a Men's Parlour, but we couldn't stop the Selected from mixing at official gatherings, balls, or simply running into each other in a hallway. There were only so many precautions we could take, and hopefully the punishment that hung over their head would be enough to make sure the Selected didn't commit treason.

Dad had been clear that the punishment wouldn't be as severe as it was back in the day, there would be no such thing as caning as Dad had abolished that punishment a long time ago, but we had to scare the Selected in some way so they wouldn't think too easily of pursuing another Selected.

I sighed and put the file back into the drawer, locking it. Love always found a way, and I was sure that if two Selected fell in love, there was no way we would be able to stop it.

 **Duke Damien**

''Yas! We need to go, we're going to be late!''

Dad was waiting impatiently for Mom to finish getting ready and finally leave her bathroom. I was lounging on their enormous bed, waiting for them to leave so I could join Cerena, Aurora and Jaxon in our longue room to watch the Selected saying goodbye to their Provinces and families.

Mom walked out of the bathroom, dressed in an elegant crème-white dress speckled with tiny black dots. The dress had a deep V-neck that ended with a black, satin bow. She looked stunning.

''Well?'' Mom smiled as she eagerly watched me and Dad.

Dad looked at her like he'd just seen a goddess descend from the heavens, and I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever look at anyone with that expression on my face. I silently took my phone out of my pocket and snapped a picture of Dad's adoring look.

Dad hadn't even noticed as his eyes were still glued to Mom. ''You're well worth the wait.'' Mom giggled like a schoolgirl and took his extended hand, and they made their way to the door, ready to leave.

''Hold on!''

They stopped when I jumped off the bed, the camera on my phone opened. ''You two are going on my Instagram. Mom, sit on that chair.''

''What?''

''Sit on that chair,'' I gestured to a lonely chair in the corner of the room, and while confused, Mom obliged.

''I don't think we have time for this, Damien,'' Dad said as he glanced at his watch.

''Just a minute,'' I waved him off as I told Mom to pose, readying my phone. Mom finally realized what I wanted to do, and as always, she indulged. She sat sideways on the chair, turning herself to gaze to the right, her right arm leaning on the top of the chair.

''Perfect!'' I yelled, nearly startling her as I snapped the picture. ''Now you may go.''

Mom laughed as she stood and straightened her dress. ''You, my son, are such a weirdo, but I love you.'' She kissed my cheek and made her way to Dad, who was waiting by the door with an affectionate smile on his face. ''Don't wait up!''

I quickly posted the pictures I had taken of Mom and Dad to my Instagram. I labelled Mom's picture as ' _'mom goals_ '', because she was, and Dad's '' _that moment when your dad has better bone structure than you do'',_ because let's face it, Dad was one of the most handsome creatures I had ever had the honor of seeing.

I had just brightened my followers day or night with the pictures of my parents.

I tucked my phone back into my pocket and made my way to the lounge room, finding Cerena, Jaxon and Rory already present.

''Finally!'' Aurora exclaimed. The table was filled with popcorn, pretzels, chips and chocolate covered strawberries, a bottle of champagne and a can of iced tea for Aurora. All of us were dressed in comfortable loungewear.

''Sorry, Instagram duty called.'' I squeezed myself in between Cerena and Jaxon, and wrapped my arms around each one of them. ''Ready to watch?''

Jaxon, whose glasses were still perched on his nose, grumbled. ''I could be studying now.''

''No more studying,'' Cerena declared as she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. ''You two are going to kill your exams tomorrow. Tonight, we're going to watch your Selected.''

''Well said,'' I nodded, grabbing a handful of popcorn and turning my attention on the television. The Report had just started and the stage empty with the absence of the Royal Family. Uncle Killian and Aunt Arizona were attending a benefit gala with our Mom and Dad, and we had gotten the night off to relax and mentally prepare for the upcoming chaos. So, this Report was the Report Host, Mehreen Falak, talking about the Selected and showing clips of their goodbyes and speeches on their town squares.

Some of the goodbyes were only shown briefly, others were lingered on a little longer, but not many caught my attention, until Aurora nearly choked on her iced tea when it was Bankston's turn.

''That's him!'' she yelled, nearly knocking Cerena's champagne out of her hands.

A young man with dark brown, nearly black hair, and the most intense icy blue eyes I'd seen was shown on screen, awkwardly saying goodbye to a man that looked to be his father. From their body language, you could tell that the two had a complicated relationship. His father looked to not have taken care of himself in a long time, and I wondered what the history behind the family was. The crowd seemed enamored by the guy's good looks, though, who I now recognized as Kieran, and I turned to look at Aurora, who seemed excited as well.

''He was your pick, right?'' I asked, recalling the night when we all picked our favorite form.

Rory nodded as she took a bite out of her chocolate covered strawberry. ''He's so dreamy,'' she sighed. ''It looks good so far.''

Cerena nodded in agreement, and Jaxon awkwardly cleared his throat. While I had no problem commenting on a man's beauty, or handsomeness, Jaxon had a bit more trouble with that.

Belcourt, Queen Arizona's Province was next, and this time, Aurora did knock Jaxon's champagne out of his hands. ''That's your girl!''

''Rory!'' Jaxon yelled in exasperation as he grabbed some tissues to wipe the champagne off his shirt.

''I'm sorry, I just got overly excited. But that's her! That's your pick!''

Jaxon turned his eyes to the television, and his irritation all but disappeared as he watched Sabrina O'Clery on the screen. I couldn't deny the blonde's beauty, and she was definitely the type Jaxon liked, with cute freckles adorning her face and a certain sweet, calm aura about her as she said goodbye to her family.

''Well, what do you think?'' I asked as I nudged Jaxon's side.

He only answered when Sabrina's clip was over, clearly entranced by her already, and he gave me a bright smile. It was the first time I'd seen him this excited while we were doing something Selection-related. ''So far, so good.''

I couldn't help but smile back at his excitement, relieved that Jaxon seemed a little less tense and nervous about his Selection, if only for tonight. We watched the rest of the segments and yelled and laughed some more at the other clips, and Jaxon's bright smile kept returning when other girls he liked appeared.

Maybe this would all turn out well, after all.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A lot of you love Damien so I thought, why not include his POV? I really enjoyed writing it and you can find his social media posts on my pinterest, as well as the outfits they wore in this chapter. I'll be doing more of these social media posts throughout the Selection so keep an eye on my pinterest account. Oh and next chapter will include Selected POVs as they arrive!**

 **Until next year, probably!**

 **Love,**

 **Wolf**


	7. The Story of Tonight

**I'm back! Barely alive because my exams killed me, but I'm back! As always, I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers who honestly make my day with their reviews, I love reading all of them! Thank you** ShaelynnSophia, morethanjustastory, L.C. Carraway, XOStarbrightXO, drakel19088, Canadaorbust, 4Love4Love4, GreenWithAwesome, Irew2376 and Deeptha13! **I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Sir Christian**

My sendoff had been a hectic mess. Mom and Dad weren't thrilled about me being Selected, Dad the least, but I had to get out of town. I needed to escape the boring life and my parents trying to control every aspect of it. But most of all, I couldn't stay and watch my two best friends be happily in love. Why? Because I had been in love with one of them since we were eleven years old.

Reagan and Landon were dating for a year now, and I knew that they both loved each other very much, which made it even more painful for me. Besides, I wanted to see more of the world and go on adventures, and what better way than to enter the Selection. And the fact that the Princess was stunning definitely helped.

Everyone had been there to say goodbye, and the crowd that had gathered was enormous, which wasn't surprising given that everyone knew us in our little town. Before I knew it, I was well on my way to the airport, where I would meet some of my other fellow Selected.

I stepped onto the plane, and surveyed my surroundings, spotting two other guys who were sitting on both sides of the plane. They were both blond, but one has so much gel in his hair and had such an arrogant look on his face that I just knew that he was a model. He was busy typing on his phone and didn't even notice me.

''What's up, dudes?''

The guy with the phone didn't even look up, but the other shaggy-haired one smiled and held up his hand in greeting. I decided that it would be a good idea to take my seat across from the nice one.

I held out my hand as I sat down. ''What's up, my name's Christian.''

He nodded and shook my hand. ''Kanoa, it's nice to meet you.''

I smiled and stretched my legs. ''You too. So, when is this plane leaving?''

''I think we're waiting for one more guy and then we'll be ready to go.''

A stewardess came over to offer us some peanuts and drinks, and as I took a glass of cold water from her, I winked at her as I thanked her. I noticed Kanoa giving me a look, and I shrugged. ''I'm a natural flirt, it's not my fault.''

Kanoa grinned as he took a sip of his own drink. ''The Selection must be a dream come true for you, then. Not only a beautiful Princess to flirt with, but other Selected girls as well.''

I held up my hands in defence. ''There's nothing wrong with a little harmless flirting.''

Kanoa laughed and we talked a bit more, as I decided that I liked this guy and already claimed his as one of my new friends. Kanoa was an athlete, a swimmer to be precise, and apparently he was quite big. He was laidback and smiled a lot, a huge contrast to the model-guy who had still not said a word.

A new guy with dark hair and dark olive skin boarded the plane. He looked around and gave us the brightest smile when he saw me waving him over.

We introduced ourselves to him, and I swear, this guy was the cutest thing ever, he looked like an excited puppy. ''My name's Samuel Gunner, but you can call me Sam. Or The Turtle Guy.''

''The – what?'' Kanoa questioned as I choked on my water.

''The Turtle Guy,'' Sam explained as if it was the most normal thing on the planet. ''I'm a species at risk technician and assistant to the species at risk biologist. Basically what I do is I help find turtle nests of Leatherback sea turtles on the beach and rope off their nests to keep beach goers away. It actually entails more than that, but anyway, I've always loved catching insects and nature and, of course, turtles, so bullies at school gave me the nickname The Turtle Guy. I was too much of a noodle to fight back, so they always stole my lunch, but the name calling never got to me.'' He shrugged. ''I embraced the nickname and they stopped bullying me pretty quickly when they realized I liked the name. I mean, what's not to like? Turtles are awesome.''

I stared at Sam with my mouth agape, before Kanoa and I burst out laughing. ''You, my friend, are awesome.''

Sam laughed along with us and soon, we were up in the air, laughing and completely ignoring model-guy whose name we still didn't know.

The time fly and before we knew it, we were landing in Angeles. We got out of the plane and were greeted with crowds of people holding up signs and screaming our names. Quite a few signs were for me, which made me grin broadly, and Kanoa also had his fair share. We found out that the model-guy was actually called Hunter Harrington, and he had a massive fanbase, which was a shame.

Sam had a modest amount of signs, and we all went around, signing photos, taking pictures and talking with everyone. After what felt like only five minutes, we were whisked away and put in a car that drove us to the palace.

''Did you see all those people? I felt like some kind of celebrity. But you must be used to that,'' Samuel said, directed at Kanoa.

Kanoa shrugged. ''It always feels good to have people support you. And who doesn't love being in the spotlight?''

''I don't know if I do. I just want to tend to my turtles,'' Sam mumbled, making Kanoa and I chuckle.

We drove for half an hour, and when we stepped out of the car, we were greeted by the vast architectural wonder that was the palace. I had never seen anything like it in my life, and I squared my shoulders, straightening my back and wrapping my arms around my new friends' shoulders.

''This it, boys. We're here. This must be how it feels to be James Bond.''

''You mean there's a supervillain waiting for us behind those doors?'' Sam joked.

I laughed and shook my head as I dragged them with me, following our aides. I caught a glimpse of some of the female Selected being whisked away to a room across the hall, and as the doors opened, I saw chairs lined up in front of mirrors and tons of makeup and other girly stuff. I shuddered as we were put in a room ourselves, similar to the girls' room but ours was much less busy with equipment.

We were split up, and I was put in front of a mirror. ''Anything you would like to change?'' a man with a trendy haircut asked as he ruffled my thick curls.

''Hmm, just trim it. Also,'' I glanced around to check if anyone was eavesdropping on our conversation, ''I would like a manicure.'' I held up my extremely rough hands, and the man made a face at my dirty nails.

''Yes, you will definitely need a manicure.''

As my hair got trimmed and my hands were giving a treatment, I decided to never tell anyone about this. It felt downright weird and I had to fight the urge not to pull my hands away, but at least in the end my hands looked like they were reborn.

We had to wait until all the others were done with their makeovers, which luckily didn't take long for a group of guys. We were told we could go back to our rooms to rest before the cocktail hour tonight, which would give us a chance to talk to the Prince and Princess. Our attire had to be formal, which I was excited about. I couldn't wait to do my James Bond impression.

 **Prince Jaxon**

The palace was a flurry of running maids, butlers and stressed out planners as everything was set up for the arrival of the Selected. There was no going back; there was no more escaping it. Today was the day of the official start of the Selection.

I had tried to distract myself all day by reading a few of the books Lukas had brought me, but I couldn't focus. The thought of my wife being in close proximity to me, the thought of _meeting_ her was one that made my stomach flip, and not in a good way.

Rory, on the other hand, was much more excited. She was looking forward to meeting her Selected, unlike me, and had been stuck in her room all day, getting ready for tonight. We would see our Selected for the very first time tonight at the cocktail hour, which would replace the interviews Selections regularly had. We thought it would be more of a relaxed atmosphere than the setup of interviews, and it would still give us a chance to get to know the Selected.

I turned the page of my newest read, _Leviathan_ , when Lukas interrupted me.

''Are you okay?'' he asked, a concerned frown on his face.

''Why do you ask?''

''Your hands are shaking,'' Lukas pointed out, and as I looked down, I realized he was right. My hands were shaking uncontrollably, something that occurred when I was nervous.

I sighed and closed my book, setting it down on the table in front of me, as Lukas took a seat on the couch beside me. ''No, I'm not.''

''Is it that bad that you're having a Selection?''

I looked around the Royal Library, my sanctuary, and I shrugged. ''I am supposed to find my wife amongst those girls. I am supposed to find true love, like my parents did, and I'm sure Rory will be able to do,'' Lukas slightly winced at the mention of Rory finding love with someone else, ''but who says I can? The only experience I had with love ended in heartbreak.''

While no one in my family knew about her, Lukas did, and he nodded in understanding. ''Not every girl is like her, Jaxon. Not every girl is like Scarlett.''

''You don't know that. A lot of these girls probably applied for the money, or the crown, and not for me. How can I trust them? How will I be able to find someone who will love me for me?'' I ran a hand through my hair in frustration, and eyed Lukas. ''How did you do it?''

''Do what?''

''How did you get over Aurora?''

Lukas grew quiet for a few seconds as he played with the edge of his sleeve, before facing me. ''I didn't.''

I groaned and threw my head back, not getting the answer I was hoping for. ''That's not exactly a comforting statement.''

''I may not be over her, but I'm not hung up on her. There's a difference, Jaxon. I'm happy for her and I want her to find someone who will make her happy, something I clearly wasn't able to do. I truly hope she finds her one, her soulmate, and I hope the same for you. You two deserve it.''

''Oh, please, get a room.''

Damien had appeared in the doorway, leaning against the post with his arms crossed and his signature grin plastered on his face. ''Is this why you're not looking forward to meeting all the lovely ladies?''

I rolled my eyes as Lukas stiffened. The two had never been on great terms, as Lukas didn't quite know how to behave himself around someone like Damien, and Damien just did not like Lukas. Why, I did not know.

''Come on, it's time. You can't escape it, Jax.'' Damien was already dressed in his suit for the night, a light blue number that he pulled of surprisingly well. Actually, no, I shouldn't be surprised.

I stood, straightening the tie of my navy blue suit. We had coordinated our outfits, mine matching the color of Aurora's dress, and Damien matching Cerena's. Together, the four of us were dresses in shades of blue.

Lukas, in contrast, was dressed in a simple but fitted black suit, and he stood as well, making his way to the door. ''I'll see you in the ballroom, good luck out there.'' He shot me an encouraging smile and left the library, brushing past Damien.

''I don't know why you dislike him,'' I remarked as Damien and I made our way to the bottom of the grand staircase, waiting for our sisters.

''I just do,'' he shrugged in response, and he turned when he heard the sound of heels clicking. ''There they are.''

Aurora and Cerena made their way down the stairs, clutching each other's hands. Cerena was dressed in a powder blue, off the shoulders dress with flowers embroidered on the top and a mermaid fit. Aurora was positively radiant in a sparkling, long sleeved navy blue dress with a slit that had lines of shimmering silver material embroidered on it that made it look like the stars had exploded on it. To top it off, she had chosen to wear one of her tiaras with a blue gem on her red tresses. They looked stunning.

''You look like you can't wait to meet your boys,'' I commented as I took Rory's arm and escorted her to the ballroom where the cocktail hour was held.

''And you look like you can't wait to run away from this,'' she shot back, but she gave my arm a reassuring squeeze.

I sighed and stopped before the double doors. ''I guess it's too late now, huh?''

''Yep,'' Rory said as she straightened my tie and fixed my hair. ''Like I told you a million times before, it will be okay. They are going to love you.''

 _That's not the issue_ , I thought.

''Well, are you guys ready?'' Damien asked, standing beside us with Cerena on his arm.

I nodded, and the servants who are positioned by the doors saw my signal and swung them open.

The room grew quiet and thirty-six pairs of eyes turned towards us. Mom and Dad were already present, and Dad walked towards us and faced the Selected.

''Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to my lovely son and daughter, your Prince and Princess, Jaxon and Aurora.'' As if on que, the ladies curtsied and the gentlemen bowed. ''You may continue your conversations as Prince Jaxon and Princess Aurora will mingle with you. Please keep in mind what your aides have told you today.''

The chatter slowly built up again, though much less noisy than before, and I saw that already, some male and female Selected were mingling. Their aides had told them, as instructed, about the potential punishment, but we did not mean for them to be separated at all times. There was no harm in conversing and making friends, as long as it didn't surpass friendship.

Damien looked around the room and grinned. ''This is going to be fun. Cerena and I are going to mingle, too, and we will make sure to grill some of the Selected for you.'' He clapped me on the shoulder and gave it a squeeze. ''Relax, Jax. You don't have to ask them to marry you today. Just talk with them, get to know them, or stuff your face with food.''

I gave Damien a weak smile as he and Cerena each went to speak with the male and female Selected. Aurora released my arm and pecked me on the cheek. ''Let's do this. Good luck.''

And just like that, I was left alone, as Mom and Dad were busying themselves too.

I wiped my palms on my pants and surveyed the room, searching for a girl who looked easy to talk to. I saw a girl standing by the dessert table. Even though it was cocktail hour, Aurora insisted on having dessert, and I made my way towards her.

''Excuse me.''

She turned around, and I was relieved that I remembered her name from the all those nights studying the Selected files. Luckily for me, this was one of the Selected who was a celebrity, a singer to be precise. ''Lady Seraphina,'' I started, putting on my most charming smile. God, this was going to be hard.

She swept into an elegant curtsy and returned my smile that reached her almond eyes. ''Your Highness.''

''Please, no titles. It's Jaxon.''

''Then I insist you call me Seraphina,'' she replied as she took a bite of her strawberry tart. She was dressed in a dark grey tulle dress, her jet black hair pulled up in an elegant bun. She looked beautiful, and as my eyes nervously shot across the ballroom, I noticed that all the girls looked beautiful.

''So, Seraphina, how has your journey to the Palace been?'' Sure, Jaxon, that's such a good question to start with. Maybe she got motion sick and puked all over the plane and now you've embarrassed her. Why couldn't I be as smooth as Damien?

''It was good, actually. I already made a friend,'' Seraphina graciously answered as she beckoned a small, blonde girl over who I recognized as Arella Hawthorne.

''Your Highness,'' Arella breathed as she curtsied.

Seraphina chuckled before I could reply. ''He doesn't like titles, so it's just Jaxon.''

Arella giggled, a sound that was adorable, and she smiled. ''Jaxon, it's great to finally meet you.''

''The pleasure is all mine,'' I responded, but as soon as Arella joined Seraphina, it felt as if my tie had started to tighten. I was hoping to talk to one girl at a time, but it seemed like I wouldn't be given that luxury. My nerves got the better of me, and I excused myself.

I walked away from Seraphina and Arella, my first conversation already a failure as I had barely talked to them, but I hoped I could make up for it. As I scanned the room I saw that, to my misery, no one was alone. Every Selected had found at least one other person to talk with, and friendships seemed to already be forming. Of course, some of these girls had been on planes together, what was I thinking.

I sighed before I spotted a head of golden blonde hair. My lips curved into a smile as I recognized the girl as Lady Sabrina, the girl who had been my pick when I saw the forms. She was standing with Lady Marian and Lady Livia. While Livia didn't look as inviting, Sabrina and Marian looked approachable enough for me to gather up my courage and try again.

As soon as they saw me, they swept into a curtsy, not perfectly executed but still a curtsy.

Before they could address me, I spoke. ''Before you start, please don't call me Your Highness. My name is Jaxon.''

Marian chuckled at my blunt first words, and Sabrina simply smiled while Livia simply nodded. Hmm, she was going to be a hard one to crack.

Instead of asking them how their day was, I decided to ask them to tell me about their selves and tell me one quirk, even though I already knew the basics from their form.

Marian started. ''Well, first of all, I go by Mare, so there's no need to call me Marian. I'm an assistant counselor at a juvenile detention center, and hmm, I guess one of my quirks is that I collect books.''

''Oh?'' Books, that was something I could work with. ''You like books?''

Mare nodded enthusiastically. ''Oh, yes, I love books. Classics, modern, I basically have my own library.''

I smiled at her enthusiasm. ''I think you'd love to see our palace library, then. I can show you one day.''

''I would love to see it one day. I'll keep you to that.''

I turned my gaze on Sabrina, and now that I was standing so close to her, her beauty caught me off guard. I tried to focus, though, as she began to speak. ''I guess you got me there, because I can't think on the spot,'' she laughed, a bit embarrassed.

I laughed and felt myself relaxing, not being nearly as nervous as I was before I approached the group. ''I'm sorry, it was a stupid question.''

Sabrina shook her head. ''No, no, it wasn't. I guess I do have one I can tell you. I write to pen pals in several different countries. And like Mare, I love to read.''

I nodded, my interest piqued. Another reader. ''That is interesting. I'd like it if you could tell me more about that sometime.''

Sabrina smiled in response, and we focused our attention on Livia, who seemed caught off guard, as if she'd hoped we would forget her.

''I don't have any quirks,'' she mumbled, and I felt bad for putting her on the spot, as she clearly didn't like getting flustered.

Mare seemed to detect her friend's discomfort, and steered the conversation back to a fun topic. We ended up chatting for a while, and Livia even laughed at something we said once, which was a delight to see. She had a smile that could light up a whole room.

I had to excuse myself as I had more girls to meet, feeling much more confident after our pleasant conversation. I made my way around the room, and while some girls failed to stand out in the groups they were, some girls were memorable.

I had a laugh with Lady Camilla and Lady Amora, who looked like they could be sisters and who had found another friend in Lady Charlotte. The three of them loved the beach and swimming, and couldn't stop sharing their passions as I listened with a smile on my face. Listening to people who were talking about something they loved was always a treat.

Lady Aceline didn't seem to like the girls she was standing with very much, and while she was polite, she came off cold and closed off, in a different way Livia was. Something about her unsettled me.

Lady Cadence, the girl Damien had chosen, was such an intimidating beauty that I had trouble looking her in the eyes, much less actually talk with her. Mostly, the other girls were pleasant to talk to, but I was fairly certain that it couldn't amount to anything with some of them. Aurora and I were going to have our first elimination tomorrow morning, and I had some names in my mind already. At least I had something I was certain of.

Though the night fared quite well, all I wanted was to do was to run away and hide in the safety of my room and to not have to make any decisions about my future wife already. Unfortunately, that luxury was long gone.

* * *

 **I know Jaxon hasn't talked to everyone, and I haven't mentioned all the girls, but honestly, that would become a bit too much and I didn't want to throw too much information in this chapter. Don't worry, this won't be their only opportunity to talk to Jaxon haha, and they will definitely be in the upcoming chapters. So the cocktail hour continues in the next chapter, which will be from Aurora's POV and you'll see her talk to some of the guys.**

 **Let me know what you thought of this chapter and the introduction of Christian and his two buddies! Oh and I've been wondering, which POV do you prefer, Jaxon or Aurora's? If you prefer any at all.**

 **Thanks for reading, and please review! I love reading your reviews.**

 **Love,**

 **Wolf**


	8. The Story of Tonight, pt 2

**Before I do my usual thing, thanking my lovely reviewers, I want to tell you guys about a new Selection SYOC from my amazing TTSW L.C. Carraway. It's called If We Ever See the Sun and I recommend you all submit. L.C. is an amazinggg writer and her new SYOC features my character's son (my character, Mae, won her previous SYOC) who is having a Selection. He's a precious cinnamon roll and you don't want to miss it, so submit!**

 **As always, thank you to my amazing reviewers:** morethanjustastory, ShaelynnSophia, Irew2376, drakel19088, Canadaorbust, XOStarbrightXO, L.C. Carraway, GreenWithAwesome, UnderTheJackPine and PicklePear, **who read and reviewed every chapter!**

* * *

 **Princess Aurora**

I had watched Jaxon talking to his Selected, and like a mama bird, I was proud to see that my baby brother (by a few minutes) was managing nicely, though he kept tugging at his tie. Mom and Dad were watching us from the corner of the ballroom, choosing not to engage with the Selected much but mostly staying with Aunt Yasmin and Uncle Tristan, Elliana perched on Mom's lap, her eyes drooping as the evening went on. Lady had taken residence next to Mom's wheelchair, as though she was guarding our family from the strangers that had intruded our home. I had already seen some Selected casting excited glances at my beautiful dog, and I was excited to see that there were some dog lovers among them.

The Selected were standing in their own little groups, which didn't intimidate me as I had no problem approaching them. They were here for me, so why should I be scared just because it wasn't one-on-one?

Before I could talk to anyone, Damien had dragged me away to meet his, as he put it, new best friend, Christian Lucas. He was a charming young man, much like Damien, and the two seemed like longtime friends from the way they were interacting. Cerena had joined Damien in their scoping out the Selected, and when I had approached them, she was engrossed in a deep conversation with Samuel Gunner. I could hear snippets of their conversations, which included a lot of mention of the world 'turtles'.

After talking with them a bit, I excused myself, as the two pairs seemed to have so much fun talking to each other they barely had any attention for me.

I spotted Kieran, the Selected I had chosen as my favorite form, and his electric blue eyes drew me in from the moment I saw him. I approached him and the two others he was laughing with. I recognized them as Salvatore Smith and Spencer Carswell.

''Gentlemen,'' I smiled as I reached them. They immediately bowed in response, but I waved them away. ''Please, there's no need for such formalities when you're with me. I don't expect you to bow to me on every date. And, before you start, it's just Aurora, not Your Highness.''

Salvatore grinned, his smile lighting up his dark features. ''Good, because all that bowing is sure to throw my back out.''

Kieran rolled his eyes. ''Says the guy who is basically the baby of the Selection.''

''You're sixteen, am I right?'' I asked Salvatore, recalling his form.

Salvatore nodded. ''Yes, ma'am. But we all know the real baby is Spencer's.''

Spencer, or _Baby Daddy_ as Damien had previously called him, grimaced slightly as Salvatore elbowed him and mentioned his daughter. I made a mental note to myself that the moment I found myself alone with Spencer, I'd get all the details on his baby and what happened with the mother of his child.

''I wanted to thank you for allowing me to bring Mia with me to the Palace, Aurora,'' Spencer expressed.

I shook my head. ''Don't thank me, it was common curtesy. I couldn't separate father and daughter now could I? She'll be well taken care of by the maids and nannies the Palace has whenever you're occupied. And I can't wait to meet her.''

Spencer smiled, showcasing his dimples, as his shoulders visibly relaxed. Poor guy, it must be hard to have a young baby at such an age and worry what others have to stay about it.

I stayed and talked with the three for a while longer, and it was clear that they shared the same sense of humor and got along greatly. They had me laughing the whole time, and when I left them, I was sure that nothing could ruin this night.

I had gotten hungry, and after stuffing my face with some cupcakes from the dessert table, I turned and was met face to face with the Selected from Zuni. He had a cocky grin on his face and was standing much closer than I would have liked. ''Princess, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you. My name is Jonas Daugherty, '' he simpered as he took my hand and planted a wet kiss on my knuckles.

He held onto my hand and I had to tug it away from him, desperately searching for a napkin to wipe his drool from my hand. It was a small kiss, why was it so wet? I hid my disgust behind the façade of a princess-worthy smile as I inclined my head. ''The pleasure is all mine. Are you enjoying yourself this evening?''

''My evening is just starting,'' he declared as he took a step closer to me. ''I've been waiting all night to speak to you. I must admit, you are even more beautiful up close.'' The hand I had just shrugged off now rested on my waist, as it slowly travelled down to the slit of my dress and my exposed leg.

I frowned and promptly pushed his paws off me. ''I don't know what you think this Selection entails, but just because you are a Selected, does not give you permission to put your hands on me. In fact, putting your hands on any woman is not okay.''

I could see in my peripheral vision that others had taken notice of Jonas' strange behavior, and Dad was making his way across the room to us with Uncle Tristan and Damien in tow. I knew that if I didn't calm this situation now, Damien wouldn't even hesitate to jump Jonas, but Jonas seemed blind to our surroundings, only focused on me.

''C'mon, Princess, don't be a tease. If you're wearing a dress like that –''

I held up my finger to silence him. ''Stop right there, unless you want my Dad, _the King_ , or my uncle, _the General,_ to show you what happens when you slut shame the Princess.''

''Rory,'' Dad had finally reached us, and his authoritative voice seemed to snap Jonas back into reality. ''Everything alright here?''

I smiled and put a reassuring hand on Dad's arm. ''Everything is fine, Dad. Jonas here was just telling me how he regretted signing up for the Selection and asked me if he could be sent home. Of course, I can't deny him that, so he'll be leaving tonight. I assume his bags aren't fully unpacked yet? If so, his butler can take care of it while Jonas waits outside the Palace. He wants to be home as soon as possible, so he doesn't mind, right, Jonas?''

Jonas, so very different from the guy he had been moments before, stammered as he watched me be surrounded by my Dad, Uncle Tristan and Damien, the latter who clearly didn't believe my story as he was cracking his knuckles. ''N-no, I don't mind. I'll wait outside. Thank you, Your Highness. Your Majesty.'' He bowed to us and scurried out of the ballroom, and I triumphantly smiled as I turned to my guardian angels.

''I had the situation under control,'' I assured them as I wrapped my arms around Dad and Uncle Tristan's shoulders. ''When will you get used to the fact that I don't always need you guys to come save me?''

''Never,'' Uncle Tristan confessed as he shook his head. ''You are growing up way too fast. In a few months' time, you and Jaxon will be married.''

''Luckily for you, Dad, I'm not planning on leaving you and Mom anytime soon,'' Damien grinned as he ruffled Uncle Tristan's dark hair.

''What a joy,'' Uncle Tristan muttered, evoking laughter from Dad and I.

''As much as I'd like to keep you company, I have more Selected to meet, so, excuse me.''

I spent some time talking to Dexter Williams and Larkin Creed, both intelligent and charming young men who certainly sparked my interest. Dexter was Cerena's favorite, and she was right about his smile, it could light up a room. I had remembered Dexter and Larkin talking with another Selected moments before I approached them, and as I was interested in speaking to him, I scoped the ballroom until I found him sitting at a table by himself.

I approached Bennett Easton, and as he saw me walk towards him, he stood and bowed. I laughed and motioned for him to take his seat as I sat in a chair next to him. ''It's getting tiring to tell all of you not to bow to me or call me Your Highness.''

Bennett chuckled. ''That was the first thing they taught us when we arrived. They are big on etiquette here.''

''I just don't see the point of formalities when you're supposed to be dating someone, you know what I mean? I might be a Princess but this is still supposed to end in me finding love, and I'm not sure how I can find that when I'm constantly being bowed to and treated with formalities.''

''Fair enough,'' Bennett agreed. ''So I guess we're supposed to call you Aurora?''

''That is my name. Though everyone mostly calls me Rory.''

''I like the name Aurora,'' Bennett smiled. ''It sounds poetic.''

I was about to thank him when I felt something nudge my leg. I looked down to find that Lady had decided to interrupt my conversation with Bennett, and I laughed. ''Hi there. Couldn't stay away?'' I cooed as I scratched her behind her ears, but her attention turned from me to Bennett, who had extended his hand to her. Lady briefly sniffed his hand before putting both her front paws on Bennett's pants, a sign of her approval.

''She likes you,'' I explained and Bennett laughed as he petted Lady.

''She's beautiful. Is she yours?''

I nodded, watching Bennett interact with Lady who was clearly overjoyed. ''You seem to have a way with dogs.''

''I have a sheepdog back home. Her name is Sadie and she's basically one of my favorite things in the world.''

''A man after my own heart,'' I blurted out, and Bennett's bright blue eyes twinkled as he looked at me in slight surprise.

I cleared my throat and steered the conversation in a different direction, asking him about his job. I had read on his form that he was a medical researcher, and naturally, I wanted to know more.

From the way he spoke about his work, the passion that emitted from him and the clear dedication he had, I knew it was more than just a job. His father got him a position in his first research facility when he was fifteen, and since he'd always loved children, his work focused on pediatric cancers, particularly leukemia. For some reason, his smile slipped as he got to that part, and I could sense that there was something he wasn't ready to tell, so to change the subject, I told him about my own studies.

He listened intently, asking questions and showing his interest. Time flew when we talked and by the end of our conversation, when Cerena had to come over and remind me that I had others to talk to, I had spent more time with Bennett than I had with anyone else that night.

 **Lady Camilla**

It had been a long day, and the impressions of the day were starting to wear on me. The first day of the Selection had fared pretty well, as I had already made two friends in Amora and Charlotte and I had the chance to talk to the one we were competing for, Prince Jaxon.

I had always had a crush on Jaxon, as he insisted we called him. Not only was he really cute, because who could deny that, but from the times I had seen him on the Report, his quiet, reserved personality and clear intelligence had always attracted me. Our conversation had been short and superficial, but I couldn't wait to learn more about him. Perhaps, this silly crush could develop into something more.

I could feel my feet starting to ache, and the heels I was forced to wear by my maids were getting more constricting by the minute. I couldn't just slip them off in the middle of the ballroom, surrounded by the other Selected and the Royal Family, so I told Amora and Charlotte I needed some fresh air and headed for the nearest balcony.

To my surprise, the balcony was already occupied. A young man I recognized as one of the male Selected was sitting on a stone bench located on the balcony, his shoes discarded on the ground and his socks thrown next to them. He didn't notice me interrupting his alone time, as his gaze was fixed on the sky, giving me the chance to take in his appearance.

The long bangs of his shaggy, dirty-blond hair were swept to the left, exposing the tan skin on his face. From what I could see, his eyes were brown, and as I coughed to make my presence known, they gazed in my direction. He immediately sat up a bit straighter, taking his hands out of the pockets of his grey suit; he wasn't wearing a tie, and reached for his socks.

I quickly took off my heels and sighed in relief as I made my way to the bench. ''I won't tell if you won't,'' I grinned.

A corner of his mouth quirked up as he took in my bare feet and he visibly relaxed, his plans of putting his socks and shoes back on forgotten. ''Good to see I'm not the only one who hates wearing those things.''

I plopped down next to him, stretching my legs under the lengthy, emerald green skirt of my dress as I relished in the feeling of my bare feet. ''At least you don't have to wear heels.''

''Good point. Those look like torture devices.''

''They are,'' I complained as I sighed exasperatedly. ''I'm Camilla, by the way.''

''Kanoa,'' he replied, and my eyebrows shot up as I smacked him on the arm, completely forgetting the brief etiquette lessons we had gotten today.

''As in, Kanoa _Cross_ Abbate? The swimmer?''

''That's me,'' he admitted with an amused look on his face.

''Now I feel like a fool for not recognizing you. You are the subject of my envy, you know.'' I confessed.

''Oh? Why is that?'' he inquired, shifting slightly so he was facing me.

''I wish I could swim for a living,'' I explained, looking down at my toes that were peeking out from under my skirt. Was it weird that I was talking about this with someone I had just met? Probably, but for some reason, it didn't feel weird. ''I used to live near the ocean in Bonita, and would spend all of my free time outside swimming, climbing the seaside cliffs, diving.. Basically anything that kept me in the sun and outside. But, because of the caste system, I had to get a job that fit with my caste. You, on the other hand, get to swim whenever you want to.''

Kanoa looked thoughtful, his eyebrows furrowed as he took in what I said. ''I guess I never really thought of it that way. I am lucky that I get to swim whenever I want to. But trust me, belonging to the upper castes doesn't guarantee happiness.''

I folded my legs underneath me as I turned, both of us now facing each other. ''Oh, I know. But it would help, if only for a little bit. Getting to feel the ocean breeze on your face and the cool water on your body every day must be great.''

''It is,'' he mused. ''I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't a swimmer. I don't have a lot of other talents, except for sniffing out a bully when I see them.''

I chuckled. ''Have you used that on the other Selected?''

''Definitely,'' he nodded. ''I was on a plane with one of the iffiest dude's I've ever seen. You've probably already seen him because you can't miss his attitude and gelled hair. I'm sure he's going to cause trouble.''

I shifted, causing the slit of my dress to fall open and reveal the seashell anklet that I always wore on my ankle. Kanoa's eyes fell on it, and for some reason, he smiled. ''You also brought a souvenir from home?''

My eyebrows knotted in confusion, and he pulled out a knotted, leather necklace with three white beads from underneath his white shirt. ''I never take this off.''

''Me neither,'' I grinned as I wiggled my ankle, the seashells shining in the dim lights. ''What are those white beads?''

''Bones.''

I gaped at him, before shaking my head in disbelief. ''I don't believe you.''

Kanoa shrugged. ''Then don't. Me and my bones don't need your acknowledgement.''

''You're ridiculous,'' I laughed, earning a laugh in response from Kanoa. I turned my gaze back on the seashells. ''I'm sure the seashells here in Angeles are even prettier.''

''Oh, I intend to find out. If they don't let us go to the beach, we're sneaking out. Those waves are meant to be ridden by me.''

I didn't fail to notice that he had said _we_ , instead of _I,_ and I couldn't stop my mouth from curving into a smile, excited at the prospect of an adventure. ''You'll sneak us out? Pinky promise?''

He extended his hand to me, pinky outstretched, and I copied his movements, locking my pinky around his. ''Pinky promise.''

This day had turned out better than I had ever hoped for.


	9. Intelligent Eyes in a Hunger-pang Frame

**Would you look at that, I'm not super late! First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their characters. I loved every character that was sent in but eliminations have to happen, so I'm really sorry to the creators of the characters that were eliminated today. It has to happen, it will happen more often, and I hope no one will kill me when their character is eliminated. It's nothing personal!**

 **As always, thank you so much** L.C. Carraway, ShaelynnSophia, Canadaorbust, morethanjustastory, XOStarbrightXO, PicklePear, drakel19088 and GreenWithAwesome **for the reviews. I appreciate and love all of them and I can't believe I'm almost at a 100 reviews! You guys are the best.**

* * *

 **Sir Dexter**

It was the morning after our first meeting with the Prince and Princess, and we were enjoying our breakfast, a proper feast in my opinion, with the Royal Family in the same room, though they were seated a little farther from us so we couldn't overhear their private conversations. We were separated from the female Selected as well, as they had their own table, but they were closer to us than the royals.

I was glad not to be seated too closely to the royals, as the close proximity to the King already made me nervous enough. I respected the man and all he had overcome, especially his addiction, but if he knew what my family had done… surely he wouldn't allow me to stay in a competition for his daughter's hand.

Everyone seemed on edge, as it'd been announced yesterday that the first eliminations would be made after breakfast. Naturally, there was tension in the air, but I tried to ignore it as I focused my attention on the delicious food. If I were to be sent home, at least I'd go home with my belly full of this goodness.

As I stacked my plate with more pancakes and was about to stuff my face, the Prince and Princess rose from their seat.

Larkin elbowed me pointedly and whispered, ''stop eating.''

Reluctantly, I set down my knife and fork, giving my pancakes one last loving gaze. If I was one of the eliminated, they'd better let me finish my pancake first.

''I hope you all enjoyed your breakfast,'' Aurora started, looking as beautiful in her more simple dress today as she had in her extravagant dress yesterday. ''But, unfortunately, Jaxon and I have to make our first eliminations. It was a hard decision, but unfortunately, it's part of the process. If I call your names, I'm sorry, but you must return home.''

I held my breath as her blue eyes scanned the table, making sure to look every last one of us in the eyes. ''To the gentlemen Marco La Femina and Greyson Heathridge, I'm sorry, but I must ask you to finish up your breakfast and leave the palace.''

I watched as the other guys simultaneously let out a breath they'd been holding, shoulders relaxing. I felt bad for the other two but didn't dare to look them in the eye, as it must have been awkward enough as it was.

Jaxon turned his attention to his Selected. ''I'm very sorry to do this, and it was hard decision as you're all lovely ladies and I enjoyed speaking to all of you.'' The Prince's voice sounded strained with nerves, which was understandable. You never knew what kind of reaction you were going to get. Someone might hurl pancakes at your head. ''Ladies Ponii Mukuhai, Lola Aroh and Aceline DesChamps, I'm once again very sorry, but you, too, must leave the palace after breakfast is over.''

I waited for one of the girls to scream or curse, but nothing happened. Jaxon and Aurora, seemingly eager to leave the room, whispered something to their parents and left their table.

I figured now was the time to finish my pancakes, so I dove in as the conversations picked up again.

After breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Marco and Greyson, both guys I hadn't really spoken to, and headed to the Men's Parlor. We were going to have our first Illéan history lesson today, and though I saw some of the guys dozing off, our teacher had my attention from the moment he started.

I had a clear idea about the government structure of Illéa, as although the caste system had improved under the rule of King Killian, it still stopped the poor from being able to help themselves. As a child, I believed that if you worked hard and did good things, life would be good to you. But then life happened, and I learned that that wasn't the case. Though I tried to remain positive, it was hard sometimes, and the caste system didn't make it any easier. But I was open to ideas, open to discuss and I was open to learn how Illéa had evolved to its current state, even if I didn't agree with it.

After the lesson was over, Duke Damien entered the Men's Parlor. We had already been informed that he was to be our guide on the way of the court, teach us how to behave, who was who, what was expected of us etc.

Damien had everyone's attention, as someone who was very close to the Princess; he was one of the people to impress. I knew from last night that Christian had already befriended the duke, and I could see why. They were both similar in nature, carefree and jokesters.

Damien hung around after he was done with his talk for the day, and while everyone seemed eager to befriend him, we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves, which resulted in a silence enveloping the room.

Christian cleared his throat, looking lost and throwing desperate glances at his friends to say something, before Damien opened his mouth. ''So, do any of you guys have a special talent?''

No reply. Special talent? What did he mean?

''Well, I do. Prepare to be amazed as I show you how to clap with one hand.'' Damien sat up straight, rolling back his shoulders and extending his hands. And then he did it. It looked weird, it was weird, but as he flapped his hands, both of them made slapping noises on their own, and we all stared at him with our mouths agape.

Christian was the first to speak up. Actually, he didn't speak. He just burst out laughing, and the rest of us followed suit.

Damien looked around with a proud expression on his face as he had accomplished his goal. The tension had disappeared and he had shown off his 'amazing' skill.

''You have to teach me how to do that! That's one hell of a party trick,'' Salvatore exclaimed as he flopped on the couch next to Damien.

I turned to Larkin and Bennett as the other guys flocked around Damien. ''We're going to have such an interesting time here.''

Bennett chuckled as he watched the others try to imitate Damien's trick. ''I don't doubt it.''

A knock on the doors interrupted the floury of movement, and a butler stepped inside. ''Her Highness Princess Aurora requests entrance.''

Damien spoke before one of us could. ''Let her in.''

Aurora entered the room, smiling as she saw the guys surrounding her cousin. ''Looks like you guys can already entertain yourselves without me.''

The duke chuckled. ''Yeah, you're kind of ruining my group date here.''

''Don't you worry; I'll be gone in a second. I just came to extend an invitation for the first date.''

We all looked at each other, and I saw that most eyes were focused on Bennett. Everyone expected him to get the first date as he'd spent the longest with Aurora, and she'd clearly taken a liking to him. But her gaze wasn't focused on Bennett. She was looking at someone else.

''Samuel, would you like to join me on a date tomorrow?''

I heard literal gasps as everyone stared at the self-proclaimed turtle guy, who jumped to his feet and bent at the waist, bowing to the princess. ''I would love to.'' He beamed at her, his smile earning a bright smile in return, and she nodded.

''I look forward to it. And I'll see all of you at dinner.'' She strolled out of the Men's Parlor, and as soon as the doors shut close behind her, chaos broke loose.

''How did _you_ get the first date? You collect _turtles_.'' Hunter demanded as he crinkled his nose in disgust. The guy had gotten on everyone's nerves since the moment he walked in the palace like he'd already won. We got it, you're a model, and you have tons of fans, whoopdidoo.

''The Princess has taste, that's why,'' I spat. ''By the looks of it, you won't stand a chance. If she can even see past your hair gel.''

''Guys, guys,'' Damien came in between, ''don't get so worked up. Sam, turtle man, congratz.''

Christian clapped his friend on the shoulder and Kanoa gave him a high five. ''Well done, my man.''

I glanced at Bennett. While he seemed happy for Sam, I knew he was disappointed, too. And I was disappointed for him. If this competition was going to evoke this many emotions from me, happiness for the one guy, disappointment for the other, disappointment for myself even, it was going to be one hell of a rollercoaster ride.

 **Lady Livia**

The Selection was only on its second day, and I had already befriended two girls. Mare and Sabrina were both great girls, but the irony of Mare's occupation and our friendship did not escape me.

I was sitting in between them on one of the most comfortable couches I'd ever sat on as they were discussing the first Illéan history class we'd just had. While it was interesting, I much preferred writing my own stories, something that was virtually impossible with all the chattering and noises in the Women's Room.

I scanned the lavish area, watching all the other girls interact with each other. Friendship groups had already started forming, though some girls preferred to keep to themselves. Cadence, for instance, who had been standoffish from the start and wasn't keen on interacting with any of us, with the exception of Lola.

''I wonder when Prince Jaxon is going to have his first date,'' Mare wondered beside me. ''What kind of dates do you think he'd take girls on?''

''He seems like the old fashioned type,'' I answered as I stood, straightening my simple olive green halter dress and picking up my journal from the glass table in front of us.

''Where are you going?'' Sabrina inquired.

''I can't concentrate in here, so I'm going to take a walk and try to find a quiet place to write. I'll see you guys at dinner,'' I gave them a small wave and quickly exited the Women's Room, escaping from the loud chattering as the double doors closed behind me.

The Palace was quite literally a maze, and after what felt like an eternity of wandering the long halls, I found the perfect spot. A small bench was seated under a wide window, which was cracked open so the soft summer breeze flowed right in. I settled in and opened my journal, ready to get started.

Ever since I was a child, my mother would read me and my sister so many books that our brains became full of fairytales. It was one of those things that I yearned for every day, those nights when Mom would tell us about faraway lands and beautiful princesses and lavish palaces. If only she could see me now.

I fiddled with the pearls around my neck, a necklace that belonged to my mother, as I took a deep breath and focused my gaze on the blank pages in front of me. I pressed my pen on the paper and the words seemed to flow easily, a stark contrast from the hard time I was having in the Women's Room.

I only got to fill a few pages with writing when a voice startled me. I'd been so engrossed in my writing that I hadn't even heard the footsteps approaching.

''What are you writing?''

The voice belonged to Duke Damien Bates, son of the Princess and the cousin of Prince Jaxon and Princess Aurora. I hastily shut my journal, not comfortable with sharing my writing with anyone, let alone someone in such a high position.

''It's nothing, Your..'' How do you even address a Duke? I felt the heat creeping up my cheeks and I groaned internally. Why was it so hard to talk to people who were better than me? I hated getting flustered and uncomfortable.

He seemed to sense my struggle, waving it off. ''I may have a title but in no way am I a fancy man. Just call me Damien. Or Dame, if you'd really like to address me with a title. I heard the British use it for the honor of knighthood.''

''That sounds... feminine.''

''That's because it is,'' Damien grinned as he took a seat beside me, already more at ease than I was with people I'd known for years. ''Are you going to tell me your name or do I need to guess? I don't have as good of a memory as Jaxon, unfortunately.''

''I'm Livia,'' I introduced myself. ''I feel like I should be curtseying...''

''Ah, that must be what my little sister has been teaching you?'' His sister, Duchess Cerena, was in charge of making us girls familiar with the ways of the court, as she was one of the experts as she grew up here. ''There's no need to curtsy for me, unless you really plan on treating me like a Dame. Honestly, I never understood the need of constant curtsies and bows. Although I'd never say no to a lady bowing down to me,'' he joked with the cheesiest wink I'd ever seen. Did he really just say that?

I stared at him in disbelief, and I watched the color drain out of his face as his eyes, eyes that were twinkling just a moment ago, widened. ''That was a joke. Shit, now you probably think I'm some kind of douchebag who's hitting on you. Not that I wouldn't hit on you, but you're in Jaxon's Selection and hitting on you would probably earn me a kick against the head. Though Jaxon wouldn't kick me, but I wouldn't put it past Rory to do so –''

Watching him get as flustered as he'd made me just a few moments ago made a corner of my mouth lift, though it was not yet a smile. ''It's okay, Dame. I won't tell Prince Jaxon that you were hitting on me, as long as you keep this spot a secret. It was calm and peaceful before you came along.''

''I wasn't hitting on you!'' Damien exclaimed, holding up his hands in defense.

I shrugged as I returned my attention on my journal, turning the pages until I found where I'd left off. ''It sure looked like it to me.''

''Alright, alright, this spot is yours,'' Damien admitted defeat as he rose from his seat. ''I will guard this spot like a bulldog and I'll bite anyone who even comes near it. I'll be like your personal guard dog.''

I raised my gaze to look at him, lifting an eyebrow, and he sighed. ''That was another joke. Man, I didn't know my humor was that bad,'' he muttered. ''I'll leave you to your top secret writing, Miss I-don't-know-a-joke-when-I-see-one.''

''That's a long nickname,'' I remarked.

''I'll work on a better one, and next time I see you, you'll be laughing, I assure you. I will make it my mission. You, Livia, will one day laugh at my jokes,'' he promised, a confident, and charming, smile on his face.

''Good luck with that.''

He turned and walked away, and as I kept my gaze on his retreating form, a small part of me hoped that he'd make good on his promise.


	10. Look Into Your Eyes, the Sky's the Limit

**Look at me, sort of consistently updating! I won't be able to write until april after this update, because yes, again, I have exams these two weeks. I feel like I have exams all the time. But I absolutely loved writing this chapter and I hope you guys love it, too. Major major major thanks to all my reviewers, especially the ones who reviewed multiple chapters, you guys are the literal best! I'm already above a 100 reviews and I can hardly believe it. So, thank you to** ShaelynnSophia, L.C. Carraway, Canadaorbust, XOStarbrightXO (x2), drakel19088, PicklePear, Irew2376, Shouta Izukai (x3), Waffle0, celiawrites (x5), morethanjustastory, UnderTheJackPine and my guest reviewers! **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Princess Aurora**

It was time for my first date. Well, first date of the Selection. I had decided to ask Samuel Gunner to be the first one to accompany me on a date, for the simple reason that the guy was adorable. And everyone who had met and talked to him sang nothing but his praises. While I wasn't able to converse with him much on the first night, Cerena had informed me of his interests in turtles and species at risk and Damien mentioned how he wanted to squeeze the cuteness out of him because it was too much to handle. While I initially had someone else in mind, my cousins convinced me to choose Sam, so here I was.

Sam had sent me a message last night, asking if I would be willing to meet him in the palace gardens for our date. While I was surprised that he had taken initiative, and I had actually already made plans, I sent his butler back to him with the message that I'd meet him in the gardens. Apparently, our dress code was: casual.

As I made my way to the gardens that afternoon, I mulled over my thoughts. I had expected that my Selected were most likely going to want to plan our dates, instead of me planning them, but I wondered if they were all going to be like that. Not that I minded, but technically, _I_ was going to be the one asking _them_ on dates, though I wouldn't be surprised if some of them had the idea in their head to ask me on a date. Again, I wasn't complaining.

Since Sam had asked me to dress casually, which meant no sparkling dresses today, I had opted for short denim overalls with a cropped white t-shirt underneath it, exposing some skin and my lean legs. It didn't seem suitable to wear heels, so I had chosen a pair of white sneakers. My red stresses were pulled back in a loose ponytail with two fishtail braids braided through them. I liked to be fashionable even when casual.

I spotted Sam waiting in the gardens, dressed in a light purple button up t-shirt and light blue shorts. It was hot outside, a typical Angeles summer day, and as I approached I saw that a Tilley hat was positioned on Sam's head, and while it was protecting him from the sun, it definitely looked mismatched with his outfit.

The times I had seen Sam, which wasn't yet a lot, he had always had a wide, genuine smile plastered on his face. This time, however, he was chewing his bottom lip and wiping his hands on his pants, looking positively nervous.

''So, what do you have planned for us today?'' I inquired with what I'd hoped was an assuring smile.

''I thought it'd be fun to go insect hunting in the palace gardens,'' he explained. ''I'm sure you have a wide variety of insects.''

That was certainly… different. I took his arm, noticing his scarred hands which were slightly shaking. ''As long as you do the actual hunting, I'd be more than happy to accompany you.'' We started walking and while I'd heard he was a chatty person, he didn't speak up, instead paying close attention to our surroundings. ''So, is there any creature that you don't love?''

''Actually, there is. I've tried really hard to like them, but centipedes just have too many legs. And they have nasty bites. But as long as I give them space, they won't bug me.''

I chuckled. ''Was that a pun?''

His brows drew together which was when I noticed he had a scar in his left eyebrow. ''Where did you get that scar?''

He reached up to briefly touch the deep line. ''I can be a bit reckless, and one time a snake got to me.''

''That sounds painful,'' I commented as I made a face.

Once again, we slipped back into silence and I couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had been so cheerful before and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to change him into this quiet, nervous wreck.

I stopped walking, prompting Sam to finally face me with a confused look on his face. ''Did something happen? Did I do something to upset you? Would you rather go inside and perhaps watch a movie? We can keep it simple.''

He sighed and hung his head. ''No, it's not you. I must admit I'm more nervous than I thought I would be… to have the first date with the Princess is kind of a big deal.''

I reached out and put an assuring hand on his arm, prompting Sam to raise his head. ''Would you like to try another time?''

He nodded and gave me a half-smile, and though his jaw was still clenched in tension, he didn't seem to sweat as much anymore. We turned around and made our way back to the Palace when we spotted Cerena.

''Cerena!'' I called out, and as I was still holding onto Sam's arm, I felt him instantly relax. It was like the tension had flooded out of his body.

Cerena made her way over to us, looking beautiful as ever, wearing a sleeveless, lacey, blush pink top tugged in a flowered skirt that reached her knees. Her dark hair was held back from her face with a pin and she wore a radiant smile on her face. ''Don't let me interrupt your date.''

I shook my head as I released Sam's arm. ''You're not interrupting anything; we were actually making our way back to the palace. But Sam hasn't had the opportunity to hunt for any insects; maybe you'd like to help him? If I recall correctly, you two had an interesting conversation during the first night.''

Cerena turned her attention to Sam. ''Would you mind?''

He vigorously shook his head. ''Not at all.''

''Just make sure you don't catch any centipedes, he hates those things,'' I joked. I watched as Sam's hands had stopped shaking and his cheerful smile returned. At least he had someone he could relax around.

I left the two of them in the palace gardens and made my way back inside, the coolness of the palace hitting me in the face. I was planning on going back to my study, get some work done to help Dad, but that was before I spotted a tall figure ascending the stairs.

''Bennett!''

He jumped when I called out his name, and I jogged up to him as he descended the stairs. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with an unbuttoned shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and though it was a simple outfit, he made it look good.

''Aurora,'' he smiled, involuntarily sending chills down my spine. _Get it together, girl._

''Would you like to join me on a date?''

He looked confused for a moment. ''I thought you were spending the afternoon with Sam.''

''I thought so, too, but things took a turn and now I'm free for the afternoon. So, what do you think?''

He mulled over my words for a moment before he nodded. ''If Sam's okay with it, then I am, too. Did you have something in mind?''

I grinned, excitement bubbling inside me at the prospect of spending the day with Bennett. ''I do. How do you feel about biking?''

…

''Tada, one of my favorite spots in Angeles,'' I announced as I got off my bike, pulling the basket I had filled with foods, wine glasses and wine (non-alcoholic, of course) out of the basket that was attached to the front of my bike. For safety measures, we had been followed by my team of guards who had surrounded the perimeters to ensure my safety, and while Mom had asked me to bring along a team of cameramen, as the country would want to see the Princess' first dates, I had told her that I didn't want to be bothered on my first few days, but I'd promised to keep my social media updated. Before we left, I had taken a quick snapshot of the contents of my basket, and as Bennett parked his own bicycle, I fanned out the blanket I had brought along on the ground, along with some small cushions to add comfort, and deposited the basket in the middle of the blanket. The spot I had chosen was a quiet one, perfectly peaceful while being surrounded by trees and enough nature to calm someone's mind. Whenever things became too overwhelming, like the prospect of the impending announcement of me being the heir, I liked to escape to this spot. No Jaxon, no Cerena and no Damien. Just me and my thoughts.

It looked perfect and when I had finally finished taking the perfect picture of our setting, I noticed that Bennett had been staring at me the whole time.

''I'm sorry,'' I giggled. ''I promised my mom that I would keep my followers updated. It was either this or a camera crew.''

Bennett shook his head, his mouth curving into a smile. ''Don't apologize. I just thought you looked cute while in such deep concentration.''

I liked this guy more and more every minute.

We sat down on the blanket and Bennett took the bottle of wine from the basket, inspecting the label. ''Non-alcoholic?''

While the public knew of my father's alcoholism, he was never one for pretending that we Royals were perfect and flawless, they did not know that I was struggling with it as well. But for some reason, something I couldn't quite pinpoint, Bennett made me feel at ease. He had from the moment we met, from our first talk, and I felt like I could tell him anything without him judging me. He had this carefree, trustworthy nature, and I trusted my gut feeling enough to follow my instinct. ''I prefer to stay away from alcohol. Precautionary measure.''

''I don't think this is enough to get drunk, unless you planned on drinking this bottle all by yourself.''

''I wish it was that simple,'' I sighed as I played with the edges of the blanket. ''It's to prevent myself from succumbing to alcoholism.''

''Alcoholism?'' Bennett questioned. ''Like your father?''

I nodded, keeping my eyes glued on the checkered blanket. ''I'm sure you, with your profession and knowledge, know that alcoholism is hereditary. And I just so happened to be the one bestowed with it.''

Bennett reached out, gently placing his large hand on top of mine, stopping me from my fiddling with the blanket. His touch felt warm, secure, and _familiar_. It was as if his hand was made for mine, perfectly enveloping my small one, the forms fitting together. ''I'm sorry that you're struggling with that, but it doesn't define you. Not if you don't let it. And since no one even knows about it, you've done a pretty good job at keeping the alcoholism at bay, am I right?''

I chuckled softly and met his bright blue eyes with my own icy ones. ''I suppose you're right. Though I must admit, and Jaxon is the only one who has knowledge of this so you better not make me regret telling you, that I sometimes, actually, most of the time, do have a deep desire to drink.''

Bennett softly squeezed my hand and I felt a single butterfly prancing around in my stomach. He certainly had a strong effect on me, and I had to reel myself back in because this was only the start of the whole process. ''Whenever you have this urge, you're always welcome to seek me out. No matter the time, I'll be ready to help.''

I beamed up at him, the corners of my mouth turned up. ''Thank you. I don't want to bother Jaxon, he already feels guilty enough that I was the one born with it and not him, even though that's out of his control… and my parents have enough on their minds, especially my Dad who already feels responsible for my situation.''

Bennett nodded in understanding, suddenly letting go of my hand as if he had forgotten he was still holding it, which left me disappointed. ''Your father is an amazing King, I greatly admire him. The medical research area was able to grow under his rule which I highly appreciate.''

I was eager to change the subject, though the topic I was about to broach wasn't a pleasant one either. ''I've been meaning to ask you about that... I read your file and the results of your medical examination surprised me. When were you diagnosed with leukemia?''

Bennett stretched his legs out in front of him, turning his body away from me and towards the view. I gazed at his profile, wondering if I had taken it too far with my upfront question as he raked a hand through his brown hair. ''I figured it wouldn't be too long before I had to talk about this.''

''I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me anything,'' I offered, ''sometimes I just speak without thinking.''

He shook his head. ''No, it's okay. I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia when I was sixteen. Finding out was a pure coincidence. One day at work, I was testing a new drug and decided to use a sample of my own blood for the control group. My research partner, Micah, noticed that my blood had a strange reaction to the drug which prompted me to go to the doctor. That's how I found out.''

This time, it was me reaching out for his hand, and he didn't pull back, allowing me to hold it. ''I'm so sorry.'' Hearing Bennett's story made me realize how tiny and insignificant my problems could be. Sure, I had real things to deal with, but my daily problem of not knowing what to wear or which tiara to choose for what occasion made me feel like I'd been ungrateful.

''The doctors told me that if they treated it aggressively, the outlook was great. I did everything. Chemotherapy, radiation, the whole nine yards.'' He laughed bitterly. ''I was diagnosed with the very thing that I was trying to cure.''

He was silent for a moment, so I scooted closer, intertwining my fingers with his. ''Then what happened?''

He answered my gesture by holding onto my hand a little tighter. ''I went into remission a year after my diagnosis. But the cancer returned. That was when I decided to refuse treatment.''

''What?'' I asked incredulously. ''You refused treatment?''

''Yes. Which means that I don't have a lot of time left. If it weren't for my mother signing me up without my knowledge or consent, I wouldn't be here. I don't want things between us to get serious because I know how this ends for me. I don't want you to end up hurt.''

My grip on his hand loosened, and I felt a pang of guilt mixed with disappointment. He didn't even want to be here, yet here I was, a single butterfly already fluttering around in my stomach. He was here against his will. ''I can send you home if you'd prefer that.''

''I don't want to go home, unless you want me to leave. I promised my mother I would give this a try, since she's so adamant on making me change my mind.'' He finally turned his face towards me, looking me in the eyes. ''And to be quite frank, I didn't expect to feel such a connection to you from our very first conversation.''

''Neither did I,'' I breathed, hyperaware of how close our faces were. The initial disappointment I had felt faded away, and as ambitious as I'd always been, I had acquired a new determination. I was determined to help his mother, to not have her attempts be in vain, and to change Bennett's mind. Because I knew, I already knew deep down that I didn't want him to die. I didn't want Bennett Easton to leave this world; especially not now that he'd taken a place in mine.

I shifted so I was on my knees and on eye-level with Bennett, reaching out to touch his scruffy cheek. As Bennett took in a deep breath, I inched forward until finally, my lips touched his.

It was a slow kiss, sweet and gentle, his lips warm against mine, and as I wrapped my arms around his neck, his arms encircling my small frame, our kiss deepened and the single butterfly I had felt was joined by a bunch of others. Everything fit perfectly together. Our lips, our bodies, even his scruffy beard slightly scratching against my face failed to bother me.

He broke off our kiss, too soon for my liking, and laughed at my disappointed pout. ''If I knew you'd be such trouble, I would have protested against my mother a bit more.''

''Hey, don't put the blame on me, you seemed just as eager a moment ago,'' I responded with a playful pat on his cheek. ''But you were right to stop, because I'm hungry and we can't let this delicious food go to waste.''

Bennett poured the non-alcoholic wine in our wine glasses, and as we clinked, I softly touched my stomach. I hoped the butterflies that had taken residence there wouldn't be leaving any time soon.


	11. Raise a Glass to Freedom

**I am so so sorry it has been so long! I have been dealing with a writer's block and it was just impossible for me to start this chapter. I figured it out, though, and I'm back! I'm very sorry and I don't plan on making you guys wait this long for a new chapter again. I hope I haven't lost any of you readers and I hope that this chapter makes up for the long wait! I've talked about tags for the mains a few chapters back, and I've revealed them on pinterest already, but in case you don't have pinterest, I listed them at the end of the chapter. There are some great fun extras and inspo and quotes on the pinterest boards, though, so I'd recommened to check them out! And I have decide to name all the chapters from now on, I already did it with the previous chapters, and all of them will be Hamilton references! (What can I say, I love Hamilton).**

 **As always I'd like to thank my wonderful reviewers who I love so very much:** Canadaorbust, ShaelynnSophia, L.C. Carraway, celiawrites, PicklePear, XOStarbrightXO, morethanjustastory, Irew2376, Artemis' hunters (x5), GreenWithAwesome (x2), and my guest reviewers!

* * *

 **Prince Jaxon**

 _~A little over a year ago~_

'' _Scarlett, wait!''_

 _A giggle tumbled from her glossy lips, her feet carrying her even faster than they were before. ''You have to keep up!''_

 _I followed her through the maze, navigating the thick walls covered in greens until all of a sudden, she was gone._

'' _Scarlett?''_

 _A pair of warm but calloused hands covered my eyes, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. ''You were too slow.''_

 _I turned around, wrapping my arms her around her small frame and pulling her closer to me. ''I was distracted.''_

'' _Distracted by what?''_

 _I planted a kiss on her small nose. ''By you.''_

 _She rolled her eyes, green orbs teasing and glinting in the morning sun. ''You are such a cliché. Those books you read aren't reality, Jaxon. This is not a fairytale.''_

 _I huffed as I traced a finger along her cheek, her copper skin perfectly soft, such a contrast to her hands. Those hands that had to work hard every day. ''I'll have you know that I'm perfectly realistic. I balance out the fiction with philosophy.''_

'' _Oh, right. Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Camus, old men who lived centuries ago and you're still reading their works.''_

'' _That's the magic, isn't it?''_

'' _I can think of something else that's more magical,'' she teased, pulling my face closer to hers by grabbing onto my collar until they were mere inches apart. ''Or would you rather talk more philosophy?''_

 _I shook my head no before I closed the distance, pressing my lips to her. It only took her a few moments to deepen the kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck and tangling her fingers in my brown tresses. She was right, this was magical._

Scarlett and I had been doing that for two years now, meeting up in secret, most of the time in what we considered our special spot: the maze in the Palace Gardens. She'd been Aurora's maid and I'd found myself attracted to the beautiful girl from the instant I saw her. Turned out, the feelings were mutual, and we started dating in secret when were both sixteen.

When we were eighteen, she broke my heart.

And people wondered why I was the way I was. When I'd decided to go for it, throw caution to the wind, dive right in without being rational, it backfired. I was never doing that again.

But unfortunately, here I was, staring at myself in the mirror as I prepared for my first date of the Selection. Dutiful as I was, there would have been no way I'd reject hosting this Selection, but a year ago, my belief in love crashed and burned. Scarlett made it so I doubted the intention of every girl in this Selection. Were they after the same thing she was? I wasn't eager to fall in love and end up betrayed again. The rational part in me tried to concur this thought, that I couldn't group all the girls together with Scarlett, but it was hard. Even for me, emotions took over. All I knew was that I would be cautious. I wouldn't give my heart away to just anyone. I'd wait and analyze these girls and not let my walls down too fast. I couldn't take the risk.

''Jaxie?''

I looked up at the mention of my nickname, the nickname only my younger sister used, and watched as she dashed into my room, Aunt Yasmin trailing right behind her. Elliana was dressed in cream color dressed with a fluffy skirt and roses sewn on the bodice, her blonde hair flowing behind her in waves as she crashed against me, hugging my legs.

''How are you feeling?'' Aunt Yasmin asked as I lifted Elli into my arms, kissing her on the cheek which elicited a giggle from her.

''Nervous,'' I answered. Aunt Yasmin looked as youthful as she did in her younger years, from what I could see from the portraits and pictures, dressed in tall heels, a white and blue pencil skirt and a matching dress shirt, a belt tied around her waist to accentuate her small waist. I for one had no idea how she could look so refreshed every day when Damien was her son.

''Oh sweetie, you have nothing to worry about. You're the fairytale prince every girl dreams of,'' Aunt Yasmin smiled as she straightened the collar of my light blue button-up shirt. I had kept it casual, rolling up the sleeves and matching it with white shorts and white canvas sneakers. It was a warm, summer day, and I wasn't planning on staying inside.

Though my aunt's words were meant to be encouraging, it only made me more nervous. All it could lead to was disappointment, and talking about my upcoming date wasn't helping, so changing the subject seemed like the best option. ''Is it true that you sold a painting to the Italian King?''

Aunt Yasmin nodded, looking proud. She'd been painting since she was young, selling tons of them, her art gracing museums around the world. ''Do you want to see it before we send it over?''

I wouldn't say no to a trip to Aunt Yasmin's studio, a place I used to spend a lot of time in when I was younger, when my parents were busy with their royal duties. Aunt Yasmin was like a second mother, Mom frequently being busy with the multiple charities projects she ran, though she tried to spend as much time as she could with her children. Now, Mom had Elli to busy herself with, and we saw her less than we used to.

Elli chatted to me while we were making our way to the studio, the perfect distraction to keep my mind off the upcoming date. ''So, I told Mommy that I will find a merman to marry, no matter what she says, because I love them! I don't want to marry a Prince, Jaxie. I want to marry a merman and turn into a beautiful mermaid and live in the sea. Can I do that, Jaxie?''

I laughed as I stroked her hair, setting her down as we arrived in the studio. ''You can do whatever you dream of, Elli.''

She clapped her hands, jumping up and down and hugging my legs. ''Thanks, Jaxie! Auntie Yas, can I play with your paint?''

''Sure, honey. You have a million of those dresses, anyway.'' _And they probably each cost a million._

Elli ran off to the far end of the studio, focusing her attention on the colorful arrays of paint while Yasmin showed me her painting. It was beautiful as I expected, a colorful display of flowers and fauna, eliciting a variation of emotions from me as I looked at it.

''Well, what do you think?'' Aunt Yasmin asked anxiously.

''A true work of art. It will fit right in at Italian court.''

Aunt Yasmin smiled and wrapped her arm around my shoulders, pulling me into her side. ''You are such a sweetheart, Jax. Did you shoot some arrows this morning?''

I nodded as I let my aunt pull me closer, allowing myself to be enveloped by her warmth. While some thought reading was the only thing I enjoyed doing, archery was one of my other passions. Showing natural talent when I was younger, I had never put the bow and arrow down, continuing to practice and shoot every morning; it had become some form of meditation for me. ''Remember when we tried to teach Damien?''

''Oh, I remember,'' Aunt Yasmin laughed. ''I also remember the poor butler who got shot in the butt.''

I chuckled as I pulled back, glancing at the watch fastened around my wrist. ''As much as I love to bring up memories of an incompetent Damien, I have to go before I'm too late for my own date.''

''Don't overthink it and just relax. You don't have to fall in love on your first date,'' she advised, stroking my cheek. ''And most importantly, have fun.''

''Thanks, Aunt Yas. Bye Elli, don't splatter to much paint on yourself.''

''Byebye Jaxie!'' my little sister waved, and as I returned the gesture, I hurried out of the studio and headed to the Selected floor.

As I stopped in front of Lola's door, I took a moment to collect myself. The choice for Lola had been completely random as I had no idea who to choose, so I'd asked Elli to choose a random file from the pile. Rory had had a successful first, though it was technically a second, date, and she'd returned with her head in the clouds, making me even more nervous about mine. I was almost entirely sure I wouldn't have the same reaction as her.

I raised my fist to knock on the door, and instead of one of her maids, Lola herself answered it. Dressed in a short, grey wrap skirt and a white cropped top that revealed her flat stomach, she looked.. intimidating. It wasn't her choice of dress that made her seem this way, but this air of confidence that she carried. Her hair was done in a messy ponytail, leaving some strands to frame her face, and I had to admit to myself that she looked lovely.

''You look beautiful,'' I said, smiling at her and hoping my nerves didn't show.

''I'm pretty sure you're obligated to say that,'' she countered with a teasing smile as she took a knitted cardigan from her maid before stepping outside her room and pulling the door close behind her. ''But thank you. Fair warning beforehand, I'm terrible at small talk.''

I laughed at her bluntness, offering my arm which she took as we made our way down the stairs, heading outside of the Palace. ''I'm not a fan of small talk, either. Rory is much better at it than me.''

She eyed the car that was parked in front of the palace steps in wonder. ''Where are we going? Are you kidnapping me?''

''I figured a date outside the Palace grounds would be fun. Your form said that you're an acrobat, but I thought it might be a bit too cliché to take you to a circus, so how about a carnival instead?''

Lola lit up, her almond shaped eyes sparkling in excitement. ''That sounds like fun. My younger sister Harper actually works at a carnival. But how is that possible without you being swarmed?'' she asked.

I held open the door to the car for her. ''I am accompanied by a security team at all times. They'll make sure we won't be bothered.''

I slid in beside her and the car took off, heading towards the Angeles carnival near the beach. After a few moments of silence, Lola spoke up again. ''I have to admit I'm surprised that you picked such a fun thing for us to do on our date. I would have thought you might take us to a museum,'' she said.

''People often have a certain image of me just because I'm quiet. Being quiet and enjoying a good book doesn't mean that you're boring,'' I countered.

Lola nodded. ''Fair point. People make assumptions about me all the time.''

''Oh?'' I asked, my curiosity peaked.

''Oh, yes. Some people like to refer to me as ''Lola the Hoe'', but I don't pay much attention to them. When you meet me, you'll get a blank slate. I don't believe in judging others, which is why I won't judge you. Though I do expect you to show me a fun time,'' she grinned, and her constant charisma and confidence amazed me. She reminded me of Rory in a way, but she also didn't. I knew in that moment that the girl sitting beside me would definitely leave a lasting impression, and we'd only just started our date.

We talked some more in the car and I found it easy to speak with her. For a girl who wasn't skilled in small talk, she sure knew how to converse. She told me that she was the first of seven children and started her first job when she was fourteen, as an acrobatics coach to young children. She had a big part in raising her siblings and joined the circus at one point.

Her life was so different from mine, her financial struggles something I could hardly imagine, even though Mom always tried to make us remember how privileged we were, and that life wasn't easy for the lower castes. She'd been a former Eight herself, and even though I understood what she tried to teach us, I'd never heard a life story from someone in person, someone who was still going through that. Aurora had always been the more compassionate one of the two of us. Maybe I just liked to bury my head into the sand.

''So, what's life of a Prince like? Don't you like to have adventures?'' Lola asked as I took her hand and helped her out of the car, walking onto the carnival grounds while my security team followed.

''The adventures I enjoy are usually of the literary nature,'' I answered, scanning the grounds for something I'd been craving ever since I thought of the idea. Cotton candy. I grabbed Lola's hand and guided her through the masses and towards my goal.

''That doesn't count!'' she protested as she allowed me to pull her along, grinning up at the different sizes and colors of cotton candy. ''But this is definitely a good start.''

I bought two big ones, and as she nibbled on hers, she spoke again. ''I think it's my obligation to show you how to have fun, Prince Jaxon,'' she announced.

''Who says I don't,'' I protested, but she stuffed my mouth with gooey goodness before I could protest any further.

''You have fun in your own way, I'm sure. But I will show you the Lola way,'' she teased, licking her fingers in a way I'm sure would have made Damien weak.

''Are you seducing me?'' I asked as I lifted my eyebrows, pretending to be scandalized.

''Oh, you'd know if I were seducing you. Now finish that cotton candy, we're about to have a good time,'' she promised.

We devoured the rest of our treat and Lola made good on her promise, dragging me to about every single attraction that was available to us at the carnival. She forced me to go with her into the haunted house, which frustrated her because it barely fazed me. Then we hit the games, choosing the crossbow target shooting game to win one of the large plushies, and I found out just how competitive she was. She lost, of course, and huffed as the man behind the counter handed me a large teddy bear. Though I knew Elli would have screamed of happiness if she saw the fluffy bear, I handed it to Lola. Elli had enough of them anyway.

We tried out the drop tower which managed to get a scream out of me, something Lola was very proud of and wouldn't let down. We tried just about everything, and by the time the sun set and the lights around the carnival started fluttering on, we were wiped.

''Now was that fun or was that fun?'' Lola quipped, bumping her shoulder into mine.

''That was fun,'' I admitted. In the hours I had spent with Lola, I found myself immensely enjoying her company. She was challenging, energetic, sharp and quite hilarious. She kept me on my toes and didn't let my title hold her back. ''Should we go into the ferris wheel? I'm sure the view from the top is stunning.''

She agreed, handing her teddy bear to one of my guards so we could take a seat in one of the small passenger cars.

As we started making our way up top, the lights and grounds of the carnival came into full view, and I realized just how immense the space was, and how filled with people. My people. I couldn't muse on it any further because Lola's voice tore me away from my thoughts.

''You know, I'm jealous of you.''

''Why? '' I asked as I furrowed my brows, turning to look at her.

''I would kill to have your smarts. I mean, I know that I'm intelligent, but I've never had a proper education. It's one of the things I wish for the most,'' she revealed as she kept her gaze fixed on the view.

Another privilege I had. The best education possible was provided for me and my family, and I had even been able to major in something I was passionate about.

''If you could be anything in the world, what would it be?'' I inquired.

''I would be a business tycoon,'' she answered, the corners of her mouth quirking up slightly. ''I'd wrack in billions of dollars every day, not having a care in the world. I would love to have the means to fix anything. Not having to worry about what happened because however bad it is, I could fix it.''

I turned my gaze back on the view as well, mulling over her words. ''I'm sure you'll be able to make that dream come true.''

Lola finally turned to look at me, and I did the same, smiling and reaching out for her hand, giving it an assuring squeeze. ''Just look at all the things you made me do.''

She laughed and I knew. I knew that while she hadn't cracked my walls, Lola had earned a special place in my heart. As a friend, that I was sure of.

But as more, who knew? Only time would tell.

* * *

 **The Tags:**

 **Arella: The Doll**

 **Bennett: The Scientist**

 **Sabrina: The Saint**

 **Larkin: The Golden Boy**

 **Camilla: The Dreamer**

 **Spencer: The Daredevil**

 **Mare: The Rock**

 **Christian: The Charmer**

 **Livia: The Wallflower**

 **Dexter: The Champion**


	12. Give Us a Verse, Drop Some Knowledge

**This chapter made me realize group dates are hard to write.. Also, it was my birthday on Wednesday and I'm not against asking for some belated birthday reviews. Reviews make my day, especially the elaborate ones, and I hope I didn't loose any readers because of my late update the last time! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, though, it's much appreciated.**

* * *

 **Duke Damien**

The world was a beautiful place and my goal was to capture its beauty. To me, every little thing held good in it, and as I looked through my camera lens, it filled me with satisfaction to be able to showcase it. It didn't matter what it was: my parents having breakfast on their balcony with Cerena, Jaxon practicing his archery in the gardens, Rory walking Lady, Uncle Killian and his envy-worthy beard, Aunt Arizona reading to Elliana. My family was the center of my life and usually the subject of my photography. But now, I had more subjects to capture.

Jaxon and Rory both had a good batch of Selected, each of them having something that made them beautiful, as did every other human on this planet, and I'd found myself drifting to the Men's Parlor daily. I'd given myself the task to keep a close eye on Rory's Selected, because I couldn't really do the same for Jax, and I already had some pretty strong opinions on some of them. One, Hunter needed to be kicked off the pedestal he built for himself, and two, Christian was my soulmate.

I had dragged Christian away after lunch, not that he complained, and we were now seated on the balcony adjacent to my room. Cards in our hand, my camera on the table, we'd been wrapped up in a vicious game of Uno.

''UNO!'' Christian screeched, nearly knocking his water off the table as he slammed his hand down.

''You don't have to beat the table every time you yell Uno,'' I mumbled, salty that I'd already lost five times in a row and not looking forward to the prospect of losing a sixth time.

''You're just mad because you can't seem to beat me,'' grinned Christian, wiggling his eyebrows at me. ''Come on, Dami, you can still win.''

I narrowed my eyes at him as I drew another card, groaning as it wasn't a useful one. Christian's grin broadened and he slammed his card down on the pile, ''I WIN!''

I threw my remaining cards on the table as I held my hands up in defeat. ''All hail the undefeated champion, Chrissy.''

Christian stood and bowed, holding his hand to his chest. ''Thank you, thank you.'' He laughed and sat down again, taking a sip of his water. ''Man, this place is great. Even playing a simple game is so much more exciting than at home.''

I nodded, looking at the scenery before us. ''It's pretty great to be a Duke.''

He laughed, shaking his head. ''I cannot take you seriously as a Duke. Do you even have official tasks and things you have to do?''

''Nah, my uncle just gave me and Cerena these titles because… because we're family, I guess? Most of the work falls on Rory and Jaxon,'' I responded. ''Everyone knows I'd be a mess.''

''Ah, yes, our future King or Queen. Did you know there are bets all around the country on who will turn out to be the heir?'' Christian informed me.

''I can imagine. Maybe it will be the surprise of the century and turn out to be me. King Damien,'' I announced. ''It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?''

''Please,'' Christian laughed. ''You would turn Illéa into an amusement park.''

''True,'' I nodded, glancing at the watch tied around my wrist. It was time. ''I'll be back in a few,'' I said as I stood, fixing Christian with a warning gaze. ''Don't you dare mess up anything in my room, I won't be long.''

Christian gave me a mock salute, face solemn. ''Sir! Yes, sir.''

I rolled my eyes, walking back into my room and collecting a small card and a box. It had only been a week, but after meeting one of Jaxon's Selected, I'd been drawn to her. I couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was, but she was so different from the girls I'd usually be surrounded with, even different from the girls in my family, and it was refreshing. I'd noticed that the spot of our meeting had become her favorite one to write, and any time I'd pass by the hall, she'd be there, writing intently with her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Sometimes, she wouldn't even notice me. I knew the palace provided the Selected with stationary to use to write home, but the pen she'd use looked worn and like it wouldn't be too long before it stopped writing. Which gave me an idea.

I'd arrived at her spot a few minutes before I knew she would, and I carefully placed the box in the windowsill. When I'd asked my mom a few days ago where one could buy fancy pens, she'd given me a funny look but told me anyway. According to the lady in the store, this pen was of the highest quality and wrote as smooth as a baby's butt (she didn't say that exactly). I placed the small card on the box which contained the simple words ' _'I thought your pen needed an upgrade – Dame_ ''. I didn't know why I felt the need to make her writing experience easier, but I did, and I hoped I wouldn't come to regret it. Or that a maid would find the package before she did. Or that Livia would throw the pen in my face and tell me it was stupid. I quickly exited the hallway after making sure no one saw me, because she couldn't throw anything at me when I wasn't there, right? It was a solid plan.

 **Princess Aurora**

The past few days had been a whirlwind of activities. Jaxon had had his first date with Lola, and that night he told me all about his night as Lady lay next to me on my bed. He'd called her his friend, which quite disappointed me as I'd hoped it would have been of a more romantic nature, but it was better than nothing. At least it hadn't been a disaster and he seemed to be a bit more positive about the prospect of going on more dates. Only a bit, though.

The day after my wonderful date with Bennett had brought another elimination. I'd invited Ezra Black to have a private breakfast with me, but he turned out to be a complete grump who couldn't even muster up a smile or a sentence longer than three words, and I wasn't having it. Dad warned me to take things slow, but I'd never been the most patient individual, and my date with Bennett made me realize that I needed those feelings to continue the process. If I didn't feel anything, a spark or an attraction, or at least could see the possibility of something more, then I saw no need to keep them around. I didn't want to waste their time or mine if I didn't see a future.

To be fair, I didn't feel a spark between Samuel and I either, but I liked Sam, and I wanted to give him a chance. Ezra seemed like he was trying to make me dislike him, and he succeeded. So, another elimination took place.

My disastrous breakfast date with Ezra had prompted me to ask Bennett to have breakfast with me the next day, and the next, and soon, we had spent every morning together this whole week.

''Dexter was right, your chefs really do make the best pancakes,'' Bennett commented as he stabbed a piece with his fork, scratching Lady behind the ears with his other hand as she rested her head on his lap.

I laughed as I sprayed whipped cream on mine, topping it off with chocolate sprinkles. It was my fourth of this morning. ''I am eternally grateful to our chefs for providing us with the best food in the world. And the yummiest midnight snacks.''

He shook his head as his lips quirked up, watching me devour my pancake. ''I don't know how you manage to eat so many of them, with so much whipped cream, and not get nauseous.''

''It's the power of a princess,'' I quipped. The sun was shining brightly on this summer morning, the rays hitting Bennett's face as we were seated on one of the many balconies, the light making his blue eyes shine even brighter. It was so easy to get lost in their sea of blues.

He seemed to notice me staring, and grinned. ''Have you lost your appetite?''

''Actually,'' I said, whipping my mouth with a napkin and leaving my seat, pulling up Bennett by the hands which earned me a disgruntled noise from Lady. ''I have an appetite for something else.''

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer until his lips met mine in a dance I could perform for eternity. Though the sun shining down on us was warm, its heath wasn't able to reach the pits of my stomach. No, that was all the work of Bennett Easton.

The sound of someone clearing their throat disturbed us, Bennett quickly stepping away and raking his hand through his hair, unable to meet the eyes of a smiling Cerena who stood in the doorway.

''I'm so sorry to disturb. Rory, can we talk?'' she asked sweetly. ''The maids will clean up here. Sir Bennett, you can return to the Men's Parlor if you wish.''

Bennett nodded awkwardly, and I reached out and took his hand in mine, lightly squeezing it. ''I'll see you at dinner.''

When Bennett left, I crouched down next to Lady, snuggling her close to me and burying my face in her fur. ''You disturbed quite a blissful moment, Cerena.''

''Oh, I know,'' she laughed, sitting down into Bennett's abandoned chair. ''You really like him, don't you?''

''I do,'' I answered truthfully. There was no use in hiding my feelings. This was what the Selection was for, right?

''To be honest, Uncle Killian sent me,'' Cerena confessed, fidgeting with the hem of her lace skirt. ''He wants you to go on more dates. Consider your other options.''

''He's afraid I've already made my choice, but it's only the beginning. Why can't I just enjoy my time with Bennett?'' I complained, though I knew the answer.

''You are neglecting the other Selected. You haven't been on another date after you eliminated Ezra Black, and you can't make them feel like you don't care. I know you care, we all do, but they won't know it if you don't show them and spend time with them,'' Cerena explained, picking a strawberry of my plate.

''You're right,'' I sighed. ''I know you're right, and Dad is right, too.''

I stood, a plan already forming in my head. ''Alright, I will go on a group date tonight. That way, I'll be able to get to know more guys than on a private one and I'm sure it will be fun. And I have a great idea on what we can do.''

Turned out, not only did I think going on a karaoke date was a great idea, but Damien thought so, too. As I was preparing to leave the palace with my dates; Hunter, Larkin, Kanoa, Salvatore and Dexter, Damien spotted us at the doors, and for some reason, Christian was with him. He'd asked us where we were going and when the word 'karaoke' fell, he'd lit up and asked me to take them (yes, Christian, too) with us. I figured it wouldn't hurt since I was already going with a group, so two members were added to our party.

I was dressed in a white jumpsuit made of a thin material so it clung to my curves. It was cinched in at the waist, a ribbon tied around it, the sleeves draping off my shoulders to reveal a comfortable amount of skin. My hair was curled slightly and tied up in a high ponytail, making my ensemble more casual. The guys were all dressed in varying colors and materials, some in t-shirts, some in polo shirts and some in dress shirts, but I had to admit that all of them looked good.

I'd made sure the karaoke room we had for ourselves was well supplied with enough snacks and drinks (and some non-alcoholic ones for yours truly). A red, blush couch was aligned against the walls, comfortable cushions scattered on them and stools across from the couch in case someone wanted to be seated someplace else. Damien immediately rushed to the booklet that contained the available songs, flipping through it eagerly while I turned towards my dates.

''Does anyone want to volunteer?''

''I do,'' Damien exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes as I watched him turning on his song of choice.

''Damien, you do know you can't hog up all my date-time?'' I asked as I folded my arms in front of my chest.

''I know, I know, I'm just making things more fun. And going first is always scary so it's better if I do it.'' Damien grabbed two microphones of the stands, extending one to Christian. ''Chrissy, will you join me in this duet?''

Christian grinned, taking the microphone from Damien and joining him on the plateau. ''Of course I will, Dami.''

The other guys looked to be amused by the antics of the two, who already had nicknames for each other and seemed like a couple of teens who were in the process of falling in love, as the music started to play. I recognized the song immediately.

'' _Living in my own world...  
Didn't understand…''_

I could barely contain my laughter, sitting on the couch with the others as I watched Christian and Damien passionately sing a love song from a movie from long ago. The movie was about two teens, meeting while they were forced to sing karaoke together, falling in love and proceeding to star in a musical together. If I remembered correctly.

''Man, this is gold,'' Salvatore remarked, who was sitting on my right side. He was munching on a cheese stick, grinning broadly before grabbing another cheese stick and using it as a lighter, waving it in the air while he cheered Damien and Christian on.

I shook my head as I followed his example and grabbed my one makeshift lighter as I bit into another one. ''You are inventive. I'd never imagined cheese sticks could be used for this purpose,'' I acknowledged.

''I'm secretly an inventor. But don't tell anyone,'' Salvatore winked and I laughed. We talked some more while Damien and Christian moved onto another song, No Air, and I found out that although he worked as with his parents as a real estate agent, his real passion was surfing. He used to live in Australia and had only moved to Illéa a year ago, but, as he said ''I still like to send memes to my friend group''. He was working hard to buy his way up to Caste Two she could live his dream, which made a feeling of guilt settling into my stomach. Luckily I wasn't able to dwell on that further, because at the mention of surfing, we had drawn the attention of Kanoa, a professional swimmer.

Damien and Christian had finally finished up their second song and they collapsed onto the stools, seemingly out of breath. ''Man, that song was hard. There was too much yelling,'' Christian commented.

''Oh, we heard,'' Hunter remarked, his face cool and even. I'd noticed he hadn't laughed one moment while Christian and Damien were screaming their lungs out, and I made a note to myself to make sure I found myself alone with him this evening.

''Well, guess it's my turn now,'' Salvatore announced, taking his place on the plateau for his own rendition of Pocketful Of Sunshine, including accompanying dance and wild hand gestures.

Larkin and Dexter had stuck together the entire night, and I picked up a plate of fried donuts as I squeezed my way between the two of them. ''Fried donuts?''

''Don't mind if I do,'' Dexter grinned as he eagerly bit into one of them. ''I swear, I've never tasted food so good as when I came here. I thought the pancakes at the palace couldn't be topped but I am constantly proven wrong.''

I giggled as I offered one to Larkin. ''Yes, Bennett told me you love our pancakes. Maybe I could take you to the kitchens some time and show you the way of making one. Or have the chefs show you, because I can't cook to save my life.''

Dexter smiled a smile that showed his straight, white teeth and that instantly made me feel the need to smile too. ''I'd like that.''

''Since we're not just here to listen to your amazing singing talents, but to actually get to know you, could you two tell me something surprising about yourselves?'' I asked, hoping it didn't sound as lame as it seemed in my head.

''Hmmm..'' Larkin pondered, and I watched him as I awaited his answer, surprised and intrigued by the calming aura he seemed to exude. ''I don't know how surprising this is, but I love rainstorms. I find them calming.''

''My favorite food is gummy bears,'' Dexter responded, grabbing another donut off the plate I still held.

''Rainstorms and gummy bears...'' I repeated, mulling over the words. ''Yes, those are definitely surprising.''

''Now it's your turn,'' Larkin proposed, taking a sip of his drink. ''Is there anything surprising we need to know about the Princess?''

''This has to stay between the three of us, but I convinced our chefs to fry a snickers bars and it was one of the best things I have ever tasted,'' I disclosed, a dreamy look in my eyes as I thought back to the greasy goodness.

''That sounds amazing.''

''That sounds horrible.''

We laughed as Dexter and Larkin both clearly had a different opinion on my idea of a good snack, and as they both decided to do a duet together, I took this opportunity to approach Hunter, the model who Damien had been shooting daggers at all night.

The model was sipping on some wine but the moment I sat down next to him, a smile returned to his face, a charming one I had to admit, as he took my hand and gentle place a kiss on it. It wasn't pretentious or disgusting like Jonas, but he clearly knew how to treat a girl. ''I'm sorry I haven't been participating in the activities,'' he apologized, his voice smooth and confident. ''I'm not the singing type, and I'd rather get to know you in a more private atmosphere.''

''I understand,'' I acknowledged with a smile. ''This isn't for everyone, I should have known that. I just picked the guys I thought would have the most fun with this type of date, and one of the few things I know about you is that you're a model, so I figured you wouldn't be opposed to a bit of a party.''

He smirked. ''Oh, but there is so much more to me. I'm sure you'll find out if we're able to spend some alone time together.''

''Is this your way of asking me out on a date?''

''Maybe,'' he said as he took another sip.

I was impressed with his confidence and his straightforwardness, so I leaned in a little closer to him. ''If it were, I would say yes.''

I left it at that, standing up to join the grab my own microphone, ushering the others off the plateau. ''It's my turn now,'' I announced, excitement rushing through me as the first beats of the song started. I saw Dexter's eyebrows shooting up as he recognized the song, and his expression was mimicked by the others when I started rapping to the opening theme of the Fresh Prince of Bell Air, another old but gold television show.

Damien jumped to his feet, screaming and hollering, and the rest followed, even Hunter, cheering for their rapping Princess.


	13. Author's Note

Hi hello everyone,

First of all, I want to apologize for the lack of updates, and for the fact that this too, isn't an update. Life has been crazy and I haven't been in the right mindset to write this fanfiction, but meanwhile I've also been working on my writing on different platforms and looking at Seeking the One… I don't think I can continue it the way it is now. I don't want to give up on this story or Aurora and Jaxon, and neither do I want to give up on your characters and the storylines I've had planned. Instead, what I'm going to do is reboot STO. Start all over, polish the storylines and everything and just go back to the beginning. I'm not changing Aurora and Jaxon, I just need to polish and think and plan.

What this means for those characters that have already been submitted: I do not want to just throw away all your hard work on your characters, I know I hate it when that happens to me, so if you would like your character to stay a Selected in the reboot, please tell me. I'm not going to just use characters again when I don't know if I have permission to do so, so if I don't hear from you if you would want your character to participate once more, I can't feature them. So yes, let me know, and keep an eye out for when I publish the first chapter of the new and improved STO! I hope I'll have your support in this and that you understand my decision. You've all been amazing readers and I appreciate all of you, so thank you for reading STO so far and if you do not wish to continue the journey with me, then that's fine, but just, thank you!

\- Wolf


End file.
